Category Archives: Teaching

Winter break

Posted on 03/26/2011 by Meryl Yourish

School’s out for winter Continue reading →

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My life, my blog

Posted on 03/13/2011 by Meryl Yourish

I just paid off the last of my credit card debt accrued from years of under- and unemployment (not profligate spending). I am now officially debt-free, except for my mortgage. I am solidly in the black for the first time … Continue reading →

Posted in Holocaust, Life, Site news, Teaching | 6 Comments

Cat Shabbat

Posted on 01/28/2011 by Meryl Yourish

Look what I found while trying to find some old photos to put on a card for one of my former students (who is a bar mitzvah this weekend). I may have used that at some point, but I found … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, Teaching | 2 Comments

Lessons from teaching

Posted on 10/24/2009 by Meryl Yourish

This weekend was Brandon and Brittany’s b’nai mitzvah. In my six years of teaching fourth grade, I had four sets of boy-girl twins. I was always struck by both the bond between them, and their attempts to hide it because, … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 4 Comments

DonorsChoose.org: Salve for the spirit

Posted on 10/11/2008 by Meryl Yourish

Yes, the economy is tanking. Yes, the news seems almost all bad. But if you have a few dollars to spare, there’s an organization called Donors Choose that has a website where you can help children all over the country … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Teaching | Comments Off

They hate me! They really hate me!

Posted on 05/21/2008 by Meryl Yourish

The Jew-hating bastards on yet another Holocaust denial site (based in the U.K., there’s a surprise) have linked to one of my old teaching posts (and not in a good way). And they don’t like my No Israel-Bashing Zone policy, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Holocaust, Teaching | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Religious Jews: Giving ammunition to the enemy

Posted on 04/04/2008 by Meryl Yourish

Way to go, guys. Give Israel’s enemies ammunition to prove that Israel is racist, by being racist assholes. Four months after harrowing accounts of discrimination against Ethiopian students, Ynet has reported that the parents’ associations of the three largest state … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel, Teaching | 8 Comments

Daylight Savings Oops

Posted on 03/09/2008 by Meryl Yourish

Okay, I don’t watch the TV news very often, and I didn’t last night. I don’t listen to the news on the radio much, either. And, well, I completely missed out on a very important fact. Like, moving the clocks … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 1 Comment

Kol hakavod

Posted on 02/17/2008 by Meryl Yourish

Last Friday night, for the sixth time in my teaching career, my fourth graders led services. Every year, they get better and better at singing the prayers and psalms in front of their parents and the congregation. I’d love to … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion, Teaching | 6 Comments

Yiddishe nachas *

Posted on 02/10/2008 by Soccerdad

Not. And amid all this hype, Winehouse’s representatives said late Friday that she won’t attend tonight’s Grammys in Los Angeles. Although she resolved her visa issues with the U.S. Embassy, she’ll still appear via satellite from London. Winehouse apparently decided … Continue reading →

Posted in Jews, Miscellaneous, Pop Culture, Teaching | 1 Comment

What teachers live for

Posted on 09/16/2007 by Meryl Yourish

I was talking to one of my students’ parents today before class, telling her that her son is already proving to be one of the most knowledgeable in my class. She told me he came home last Sunday loving the … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 3 Comments

First day of school

Posted on 09/09/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Today was the first day of religious school. It featured a new class, a new principal, new books, and an extra 30 minutes of class time. I am exhausted. It didn’t help that I was up an hour before the … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 1 Comment

Another bar mitzvah weekend

Posted on 06/02/2007 by Meryl Yourish

The last of my second-year students has his bar mitzvah this weekend. I know you’re not supposed to have favorites, but I confess that J. was always one of mine, even as he was one of my most challenging students. … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 1 Comment

Another school year ends

Posted on 05/19/2007 by Meryl Yourish

I have just finished the last of my students’ progress reports. That’s what they call report cards for Hebrew School these days. I am done with my paperwork obligations. Finished. Completed. All I have to do is get through two … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 5 Comments

Teaching fourth graders

Posted on 05/08/2007 by Meryl Yourish

This is the time of year that drives me the craziest. The kids all have spring fever, and Tuesdays are the worst. They’ve been in school all day, and now they have to come straight ot religious school with barely … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 1 Comment

Sing along with Rahel

Posted on 04/29/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Long-time readers will doubtless remember that this is the time of year that I am driven absolutely crazy by my Daled class students. Spring hits Richmond very early each year, but we have class through the end of May. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 4 Comments

Five years on

Posted on 03/02/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Today is my baby brother’s birthday. That would be the brother with the teenaged son. We are not getting any younger, but Alex is getting older. He’s about ready to start driving. Yikes. Dave’s birthday coincides with my Hebrew school … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 1 Comment

The Look

Posted on 02/04/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Today’s class was, well, horrible. For whatever reason, the students were at their worst behavior of the entire year. They were unruly and talkative and simply would not listen. In fact, I gave every single student a negative point at … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 6 Comments

The rewards of teaching

Posted on 10/29/2006 by Meryl Yourish

Earlier this year, the first of my first class of fourth grade students began having their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. There’s a post sitting in the spike file of my thoughts from the first Bar Mitzvah, because I couldn’t get … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 12 Comments

New year, same old student

Posted on 09/14/2005 by Meryl Yourish

Okay, I no longer have the student whom I shall call Bad Boy Number One (he’s not really bad, just rather difficult to discipline). I sat in the row in front of him during t’filah (prayers) today, moving back and … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 1 Comment