Winds Of Change
Three veteran teachers see the classroom
mirroring society, but they won't turn back the clock
ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Leo Likes His
Boys "Blooz
hrow out any stereo-
types, any memories
you might have of your
school days. The class-
room of your childhood is not the
same one attended by your chil-
dren or grandchildren.
From attitude to classroom
aids, to students, parents, teach-
ers and schools — all have
changed.
For example, says Fran Pearl-
man, director of education at
Temple Israel, "kids were more
willing in the old days" to just do
what they were told. Students to-
day are less passive "and will tell
you they have greater expecta-
tions."
Ms. Pearlman has taught for
22 years, including Hebrew at a
public high school in Illinois. She
has led Temple Israel's education
program for three years.
"We have to teach to all modal-
ities today: touch, sight, smell.
bility and validity in the eyes of
the child.
"This will be similar to what
they see in public school. It's not
just paper and pencil anymore."
The pressures of society affect
both the home and the school. Ac-
cording to Richard Strausz, a
Farmington Public Schools
teacher for 25 years and the dis-
trict's math and computer coor-
dinator, all the recent talk about
"going back to basics" will not
change society.
Mr. Strausz sees less parental
involvement today in their chil-
dren's education, "but not less in-
terest. The parents don't have as
much time to give. They're not on
the kids' backs to do that home-
work."
He stresses that he's talking
about parents of the average high-
school student, "not the one in the
advanced placement classes."
The change can be laid to tele-
As a result, he says, the aver-
age students today are more will-
ing to settle for mediocrity. They
always want to know if they're
passing the class or "what do I
need to know for the test?" but no
more.
"In our day, if students didn't
work their hardest or couldn't go
to college, they could make seri-
ous money in the factories. Those
jobs aren't there anymore. Now
our students have to compete
with the Germans and the
Japanese and people who are
working harder."
Mr. Strausz believes that par-
ents today "are less happy with
me and my colleagues than they
were 25 years ago. They hope
that I can stick my finger in the
dike and stop the societal
changes.
"If we could turn back to the
days of 'Leave It to Beaver,' they'd
be happy."
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We can't just lecture." Some
children, she says, are unable
to copy from the board, and
that board is no longer black
or uses chalk.
Many children are affected
by television, both positively
and negatively, she says.
The children's television
show, "Sesame Street," has
ever-changing subjects, live
and animated characters, in-
terchanging of film and
staged skits. "What teacher
can teach like that?" Ms.
Pearlman asks.
But Jewish education must
try to be like "Sesame Street."
Temple Israel has spent millions
on its new multimedia center and
classroom wing, which incorpo-
rates state-of-the-art computers
and databases. According to Ms.
Pearlman, it will "enhance and
enrich learning, and add credi-
Above left: Bonnie Torgow:
All they need is love.
Above: Richard Strausz:
Less parental involvement.
Left: Fran Pearlman:
Just like public school.
vision, families where both par-
ents work, and single-parent
families. "There are more dis-
tractions, and more things going
on in the parents' lives."
It makes it harder for parents
to get to the PTA meeting, or to
school conferences.
We can't go "back to the basics"
when the basics have changed,
Mr. Strausz says. "In math, I
want my students to be able to
add and multiply. But you can
buy a calculator today for $5. I
want my students to be able to
use the math, to apply the con-
cepts."
He believes that while parents
are more critical of teachers to-
day than they were 25 years ago,
teachers are better trained today,
know more about how students
learn and are conscientious.