Emily Branton
Author's posts
May 24
The little things
As our final projects for the year draw to a close, I keep noticing the little details: those day-to-day parts of life in our classroom that make all the big, amazing achievements possible. Like… Our כיבוד (kibud– snack) routine, where the whole group joins in reciting the ברכות (berachot– blessings). These ברכות (berachot) then become …
May 10
Springing forward
Look, I know we say it every year. But it’s true every year: I can’t believe how much you’ve grown! It’s especially visible right now, as the ענפים (Anafim– “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) are simultaneously finishing up their last theme projects, and their last big עברית (Ivrit- Hebrew) challenges of the year. Everywhere I look, I see …
May 04
Chavruta
You can hear the sound of children’s voices from out in the hallway. Inside of the ענפים (Anafim- “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) classroom, ten eight- to ten-year-olds are sitting at tables, each across from a partner. And as each pair reads and discusses a Jewish text together, an ancient tradition called חברותא (chavruta- ‘friend,’ or learning partnership) comes to life. …
Apr 26
Many stories, many media
Our אונאת דברים (Ona’at Devarim– ‘hurting with words’) projects are starting to take shape: At this point in the theme, after several weeks of exploring core Jewish texts together, many ענפים (Anafim– “Branches” for 3rd-4th grade) children have started to gravitate towards the big questions or ideas that are most compelling to them, and are developing a sense …
Apr 20
Joyful expression
ענפים (Anafim, “Branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) have grown a lot this year. For example, they can sit together and work in חברותא (havruta, text study partnership) to explore a new Rabbinic text, connecting it with their own ideas and their peers’ ideas. That requires a lot of different reading, writing, and collaboration skills, not …
Apr 13
Hurting with words, helping with words
The fourth-grader collapsed with a sigh next to where I was sitting with a third-grader in the hallway. “I can’t figure it out!” the fourth-grader said to me. “I designed my character to be a really, really nice guy. Someone who always helps other people, always wants to do the right thing. So I figured out who hurts him with …
Mar 30
Activating Pesach (Passover) knowledge and questions
After several years at the Jewish Enrichment Center, ענפים (Anafim, “Branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) know a lot about פסח (Pesach, Passover). They’re familiar with the major parts of the סדר (Seder, the “Order” of the Passover meal), the items traditionally on the seder plate, connection between the holiday and the text in Exodus 1-15 which describes …
Mar 02
Peer interviews
As our שבת (Shabbat) projects take shape in ענפים (Anafim, “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children), the children are starting to interview each other to develop their artist’s statements. Sometimes the questions are spontaneous: “Whoa! How did you do that?” Sometimes, great follow-up questions grow out of answers to our set interview protocol: “Wait, that’s really different …
Feb 23
Yes They Can
One of my favorite parts of project time is the focus and competence radiating from ענפים (Anafim, “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children). Of course, it’s no surprise that ענפים (Anafim) approach their project work with such patience and commitment, since after all, each project grows out of a child’s authentic ideas and discoveries. They’re excited to share their thinking with …
Feb 16
Thinking without words
As the children left the classroom yesterday, I took a deep breath. Wow. ענפים (Anafim– “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) made a huge leap forward on their שבת (Shabbat) projects this week! Their own personal interpretations of שבת (Shabbat) started to take shape, as they made connections between different concepts and conversations we’ve explored over the past few weeks. Each …