Taking Washington by Storm

 

School Gathers to Watch Historic Address

Article by Ilan Gritzman ('16)

Mr. Comis and Mrs. Hochner Spend the Day as Students

 

Graphic by Aaron Senfeld ('17)
Interview by Mathew Samilow ('17)

Mr. Tom Comis and Mrs. Shaindi Hochner each shadowed select students during a typical school day to get the "student experience." I sat down with them to talk about their experiences.

Matthew Samilow: I understand that you each followed a student or group of students for a day. Who specifically did you shadow?

Mr. Tom Comis: I had the opportunity to follow the 9th grade boys' davening in the morning and stayed with 9th grade throughout the day.

Mrs. Shaindi Hochner: I shadowed an 11th grade girl.

MS: How would you describe the experience?

MTC: It was great. All of the teachers were great, the classes were engaging and interesting. Interestingly, I found it difficult to transition in and out between Judaic and General Studies.

MSH: It was definitely a learning experience for me. It was very interesting to be on the other side of the desk again.

MS: What would you say was the purpose of this activity?

MSH: The purpose was to learn more about being a student at WYHS, helping us understand what it is like to sit through multiple classes of varying subjects, as opposed to just teaching one. If we can empathize with our students, perhaps we can be better teachers.

MTC: It was to gain the students' perspective. For me, it was so enlightening to go through an entire day of different classes, instead of just teaching a few periods of one subject. One thing that stuck out to me was the three-minute break between classes--it felt so short. Overall this will help me move forward with a better idea of how our students think and feel.

MS: Aside from just a getting a better idea of what being a student is like, what personal effect did this have on you? How will it change the way you teach or interact with your students?

MTC: I don't know any Hebrew. So, when I sat in on Hebrew class I was totally lost. This has made me more sensitive to kids who are totally confused in class, because now I know exactly what it feels like.

MSH: It reminded me how amazing it is to be able to just sit and learn. As a high school student, it is easy to take for granted what a wonderful gift that actually is. Trust me, you will miss it when you are older and have so many other responsibilities to deal with. It also really helped me as a teacher. I not only gained insight into the life of a student, but also from the teachers who so graciously allowed me into their classes for the day. It helped me to realize what works best in a classroom setting, and gave me new ideas to implement in my own classroom.

MS: After attending a full day's worth of classes, which one was your favorite or the most interesting to you, personally?

MSH: The Chumash class I sat in on was amazing! Surprisingly, I also really enjoyed A.P. Biology, even though I am not a science person.

MTC: I really enjoyed Human Geography. It's not just history, it's a study of different people and their interactions. It's almost a sociology class. I also really liked Hashkafa. In it, we spoke about the upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections. I found it fascinating, because I never had any class like that when I was in high school. It was all open dialogue and discussion.