THE ROTHSCHILD PRIZE IN EDUCATION In Memory of Max Rowe 2017
THE ROTHSCHILD PRIZE IN EDUCATION In Memory of Max Rowe
Jerusalem, March 2017
ABOUT THE PRIZE Max Rowe immigrated to Israel in 1948. He served as head of PICA, and then until 1982 as Chief Executive of Yad Hanadiv (the Rothschild Foundation).
Max Rowe (1912-1985)
At Yad Hanadiv Max Rowe placed a high priority on advancing education in Israel. Under his guidance, the Foundation established Educational Television, the Centre for Educational Technology (CET) and the Open University. All three initiatives grew out of Rowe’s belief that ‘a high quality education should be available for the masses’, and that ‘the particular aptitudes of each individual should be fostered’. In 1987 Yad Hanadiv established the Rothschild Prize in Education in Memory of Max Rowe to recognize educators in the Israeli school system who promote excellence, initiative and innovation, and advance their pupils in exceptional and commendable ways. The selection committee for the Prize includes representatives of the Ministry of Education, academics specializing in education and public figures. Nominations are submitted by district superintendents and supervisors from the Ministry of Education, municipal education department directors, educators, members of academia and the general public. The 2017 Rothschild Prize in Education is being awarded to Teacher Leaders – respected and experienced teachers who initiate and facilitate learning processes among colleagues, in order to make the practice of teaching more reflective and professional. Through activity carried out in their schools or disciplines, they contribute substantially to the quality and prestige of the teaching profession and to enhanced student learning.
ABOUT TEACHER LEADERS Who is a Teacher Leader?
Why is this process important?
A Teacher Leader is a highly capable teacher, who leads professional learning of colleagues. The Teacher Leader seeks to improve learning and achievements of pupils by improving the practice of teaching.
Research establishes that quality of teaching is the schoolbased factor that makes by far the greatest contribution to learning and student achievement. Teacher Leaders who carry out the work described above fulfil the conditions for professional development known to improve the quality of teaching.
What does a Teacher Leader do? Teacher Leaders create opportunities and lead efforts for shared learning by teachers, based on trust and mutual respect of all participants in the process – Teacher Leaders, teachers and Head Teachers. Utilizing a variety of methods, the Teacher Leader engages fellow teachers in a process which is systematic, continuous, collaborative, school-based, focused squarely on classroom instruction and backed by evidence and observation of teaching situations. The Teacher Leader mentors teachers in applying the resulting insights in the classroom.
What is the vision for the future? Teacher Leaders will be active in schools throughout the country, spearheading a systematic collaborative approach to expand and deepen the practical professional knowledge of teachers – to improve the learning of all pupils.
Anat Lancry
Rothschild Prize in Education March 2017
Over the past two years Anat has
create a sense of a collective responsibility that comes with
participated in a Teacher Leader
being part of a professional hevruta or learning collaborative.
programme of the Haifa District,
In her facilitation, Anat emphasizes reflection, case study
where she leads a community of Teacher Leaders at the
analysis and professional discourse that stimulates practical
Teacher Centre in Kiryat Motzkin. In addition, she leads a
and theoretical questioning. She believes that this type of team-
community of teachers in her own school. Her activity in pro-
work sharpens one’s sensibilities and decision making, raises
fessional development of teachers builds on her expertise as
awareness of weaknesses and challenges, and generates
an excellent teacher of Mathematics and Computer Sciences
new practical knowledge that can contribute to the success
and as a pedagogical coordinator at the Kiryat Ata Yeshiva
of all students.
High School for Art and Science. As a facilitator, Anat believes in the power of communities of learning to advance the professional competencies of participating teachers and to
Dr Avi Merzel
Rothschild Prize in Education March 2017
Avi is convinced that Physics is
his postdoctoral work at the Technion. He serves in develop-
not only for geeks. He works to
ment teams and leads a community of Physics teachers in
make it accessible, captivating
Jerusalem. Avi utilizes the tool of Vidaktika (video-didactics)
and comprehensible to all of his students and fellow teach-
– analysis based on observing teaching practice with the aid of
ers. His activity is sophisticated, creative and technology-
filmed lessons – when he mentors and trains new and veteran
driven. He makes use of innovative tools from the world of
teachers. Avi believes in ongoing professional development of
high-tech in his classroom in order to draw his students into
teachers, maintaining that every teacher ought to be a per-
the world of physics, engaging them in a lively and stimulating
petual student of his own teaching, and demonstrate flexibility
learning process that integrates technology into both teach-
and creativity every time he enters the classroom, in each les-
ing and learning. Avi wears a number of hats: he teaches at
son and with each student.
The Charles E. Smith High School for Boys and at the Pelech Religious Experimental High School for Girls in Jerusalem, lectures in Physics Education at The Hebrew University, and carries out research on the subject of Physics teaching in
Elias Farah
Rothschild Prize in Education March 2017
Elias is coordinator of English at
students at Oranim Teachers College and his colleagues to
the St Joseph Seminary and High
lead and take part in teacher-led initiatives. He himself leads
School in Nazareth. He is an active
learning processes of fellow teachers at teacher centres
and involved teacher whose work extends beyond the walls
around the country, where he shares innovative teaching
of his classroom and of the school. Through wide-ranging
methodologies, drawn in part from his own classroom
activity, he demonstrates that language is much more than
experience and from the doctoral studies he pursues in the
grammar and composition, seeing it as a key to understanding
field of English. Elias believes that meaningful high quality
the world, to self expression and to stimulating cognitive
learning is achieved not only by expanding vocabulary, but also
and communication skills. Elias adopted an English language
by developing internal resources: rhetorical and reasoning
International Diplomacy and Communications major - the first
skills, a culture of discourse and self-esteem. He sees learning
in the Arab Community. He coordinates English studies and
in general and the study of English in particular as goals with
heads two extracurricular areas close to his heart – debate
inherent value, as well as tools to effect change, bridge
and programmes promoting International Studies, including a
differences and resolve conflicts.
Model UN conference that Elias' school has hosted annually for Arab and Jewish schools from across the country for the past three years. He encourages his school’s alumni, Education
Hadas Rimon Zimbler
Rothschild Prize in Education March 2017
Hadas has been a Teacher Leader
In her capacity as a Teacher Leader, Hadas facilitates and
for two and a half years as part of
mentors a learning community of teachers from various
Hashkafa’s Teacher Leader initiative
disciplines in her school. Under her guidance, participants gain
in the Haifa District, and is a teacher at Nofit Elementary
an appreciation for the teaching improvement process known
School. In her Maths classes she combines hands-on
as ‘Lesson Study’: continuous loops of collaborative lesson
learning approaches in which the teacher guides and
planning, observation, feedback and reporting on their insights.
encourages students to take responsibility for their learning,
As a partner in leading the professional development of her
to dig deeper into content and develop analytical and critical
colleagues she makes a significant contribution to fostering
thinking skills. Hadas creates a pleasant learning environment
a culture of learning among teachers and to a positive
focused on adapting content and the pace of learning to the
experience of learning among students.
range of abilities of her students. She is a big believer in the power of a teacher’s words to influence the learning process, understanding that every child processes input differently and that this has an impact on classroom engagement.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS – 2017 Professor Bat-Sheva Eylon, Chair Weizmann Institute of Science
Ms Gila Ben-Har
CEO, Centre for Educational Technology
Ms Michal Cohen
Outgoing Director General, Ministry of Education
Ms Najwa Farahat
Inspector, Jerusalem Middle and High Schools
Ms Gal Herut
Head, Teacher Leaders Professional Centre (TLPC) at Mofet Institute
Ms Esty Magen
Teacher Leader; Ostrovsky High School, Ra'anana; Recipient of the 2015 Rothschild Prize in Education
Dr Nir Michaeli
Rector, Oranim Academic College
Mr Moti Rosner
Director, Deputy Director of Teachers Administration, Ministry of Education
Ms Yehudit Shalvi
Executive Director, Avney Rosha Israel Institute for Head Teachers
Design: Delicatessen Design | Photography: Elad Brami