TBI RELIGIOUS SCHOOL MADRICHIM INFO
Madrichim Job Description
Being a madrichim affords you the opportunity to join our Religious School on Sunday mornings as a teaching assistant, where you will provide support to a lead classroom teacher and serve as a positive Jewish role model to our students.
As a madrichim you will build on your knowledge of Jewish values and community while honing effective teaching strategies, leadership skills and knowledge of child development while working in a collaborative setting. You will develop skills that will assist you as you continue your journey toward adulthood, career, and independence.
There are many roles and responsibilities a madrich or madricha may have in the classroom. The most important aspect is to remember that you are dugma, a role model, for the student with whom you interact. You and the teacher develop a close, collaborative relationship, you will be helping to build the confidence skills and knowledge of the students in your classroom. Your impact on your learners is real, so please take your role as a madrich or madrich seriously.
Madrichim will assist in a classroom, serving as a second pair of eyes, ears, and hands, with the students. You and the teacher will determine together the best ways for you to assist. If you notice that someone is distracted or having difficulty with the learning, take the initiative and go ove to that student to help. If you think the teacher may not be aware of what you’ve observed, mention it. Your job as a madrich/madricha can be as meaningful, challenging and rewarding as you make it.
Throughout the school year, you will have many ways to enhance your skills and learn from each other as you share and reflect on your strengths and challenges. You will learn how to work with a whole class as well as individual students, how to design parts of lessons that you will teach to your students, as well as many other helpful strategies for how to teach and engage students in Religious School.
Expectations of Madrichim
- Attitude: Be positive, be encouraging, be yourself
- Classroom Behavior: If there is more than one madrich/madricha in a classroom, be diligent about avoiding side conversations, with either students or other madrichim.
- You are a Role Model: Everything you do or say is being noticed. Be an example of our school-wide expectations to show Chen, Chesed, and Rachamim with all your actions and words. Model ruach and koach too – engagement and enthusiasm for the learning.
- Technology: Madrichim’s cell phones are not permitted to be on in the classrooms. When you arrive you may turn it off and/or give it to the teacher. Of course, you may use your phone at the end of the session. Remember, in order to hel and to teach you must be present and without distractions!
- Attendance: This is a job. You are expected to arrive on time and be engaged in your classroom. Madrichim are expected to be present for 75% of the sessions. If you know you will need to be absent, you are required to report this at least a day in advance, to your teacher and to Mrs. Birnholz. If a last-minute absence comes up, contact Mrs. Birnholz as soon as you know.
- Be on Time: Arrive at 8:45 am. This is an important time for you and the teacher to connect, to talk about plans, student needs, upcoming lessons and projects, and set up the classroom.
- Be Responsible: Help encourage students to do their best, help clean-up and remind students to help clean up, be aware of needs and help them to be met.
- You are a TBI Teen: Being a madrich/madricha is a leadership role here at Temple B’nai Israel and we are grateful for your commitment and for you sharing your talents with us – thank you!
Madrichim Interest Form