Participants will be selected via a rigorous selection process, and will be coached by highly talented experienced 5-unit mathematics teachers
As part of the Ministry of Education program for doubling the number of 5-unit mathematics students in Israel, they stated a goal to double the number of 5-unit mathematics teachers. To this end, the Ministry is leading a new two-year program to expand the certification of experienced mathematics teachers to teach the five-unit track. The program is operated by six universities across the country and is mostly dedicated to deepening mathematical knowledge.The two-year program is a 3.95 million NIS collaborative venture between the Ministry of Education and Kadima Mada, and includes 180 teachers in a first cohort, with a second cohort planned to open next year. The content is comprised of mathematics courses and pedagogic instruction. The program, however, does not include classroom-based clinical teaching skills, which are necessary for a five-unit teacher.
Therefore, Kadima Mada is proposing a supplementary program to provide individual coaching for 60 of the program participants. They will be selected via a rigorous selection process, and will be coached by highly talented experienced 5-unit mathematics teachers. Every participating teacher will receive weekly individual coaching in their first year of teaching five units, which will include how to address common mistakes and misconceptions, organizing the classroom, and implementing different teaching methods in order to help respond to the needs of individual students. The coaching will take place in scheduled weekly meetings, lesson observations, and through teachers filming their own lessons for evaluation and feedback.
These coaches will meet with a supervisor once every two weeks, in order to build their coaching technique and to share case studies and challenges. All participants, teachers and coaches, will take part in four learning days over the course of the program. The coaching process will be evaluated throughout to learn about its effectiveness in order to improve the program.
In the current climate of a rapid increase in the number of 5-unit students, it is hoped that the 60 new teachers of 5-units will be more easily absorbed into the system and will apply clinical teaching skills to help more students persevere and succeed in their 5-unit studies.