The Hebrew University of Jerusalem will establish a clinical training program for high-tech professionals who are changing careers into mathematics teaching
The Einstein school of mathematics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem is a world-renowned mathematics department. Its faculty comprises highly talented mathematicians, including, Elon Lindenstrauss, the 2010 Fields Medal Laurate and David Kazhdan and Alex Lubotzki, winners of the Israel Prize in mathematics. Several of them have been active along the years on an individual basis in educational programs for high school teachers and students, and served on professional committees.
At the Hebrew University, the training and professional development of teachers is however the responsibility of the school of education. It should be noted that the university decided several years ago to close its science-teaching department, leaving a void behind it and a growing shortage of mathematics and science teachers in the region. The Trump Foundation’s programs in the Jerusalem area have so far focused mostly on the sciences, while in mathematics there is still an untapped need.
In discussion with the university’s teacher training department, we proposed that the school of education and the Einstein school of mathematics would join hands. We asked them to prepare a program that would incorporate the relative advantage of each department and would present an attractive value proposition for highly capable candidates. Consequently, the university is now suggesting a training program for 45 career changers from high tech in three cohorts of 15 participants.
The one-year program would include a rigorous selection process, courses by both schools with unique emphasis on high-level mathematics content, and a practicum in the Science and Arts high school in Jerusalem. The program will operate on a two-day a week basis, of which one day will be dedicated to lectures, which will be performed at the mathematics campus of the university, and one day to the practical experience in the school. In the school, the teaching students will experience real time instruction, will receive feedback and coaching from experienced teachers that will observe them teaching, and will use videos to improve their practice.
The Einstein school of mathematics will develop a designated course, which will focus on advanced mathematics, in alignment with the high school curriculum, and will offer a menu of mathematics courses from its regular portfolio. It will also invite the students to special guest lectures by the faculty of the mathematics department. The school of education will offer a combination of general education courses, which will be executed in the campus and online, and a designated curriculum for the mathematics education components. The special curriculum will include a course of jointly analyzing the video footage from the classroom experience, in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute.
Following the program, the school of education will assist the graduates in finding teaching positions and will provide individual and group mentoring over a period of two years.