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." 9 9 Available at 5 HOONA - KIDS'"' OPENING IN AUGUST At The Loading Dock In Sylvan Lake For More Information Call 810 • 683 • 8834 HOSSS O 0111.1V 101 W ONN I 14 Mile & Haggerty Newberry Square 810-624-4930 JOIN US FOR THESE SPECIAL EVENTS! Sept. 8 & 9 Meet doll maker, Nancy Solie-Vilker Dolls designed to match your child, for Bar & Bat Mitzvah too. Sept. 16 Meet TV's "Madeline" '11 Advertising in The Jewish News Gets Results Place Your Ad Today.. Call 354-6060 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.