US teacher creates new English teaching method in Israel

Deer created a unique way to teach a second language, taking full advantage of the technology in the school and pulling from her Chicago roots.

 23-year-old Lauren Deer, who volunteers at Gavim School in Be'er Sheva, set up an initiative to teach English through a tour of places, particularly, in her home city of Chicago. (photo credit: COURTESY OF MASA ISRAEL TEACHING FELLOWS PROGRAM)
23-year-old Lauren Deer, who volunteers at Gavim School in Be'er Sheva, set up an initiative to teach English through a tour of places, particularly, in her home city of Chicago.
(photo credit: COURTESY OF MASA ISRAEL TEACHING FELLOWS PROGRAM)

23-year-old Lauren Deer, who volunteers at Gavim School in Beersheba, set up a creative new initiative for teaching English during her year as a Masa Teaching Fellow. 

Deer created a unique way to teach a second language, taking full advantage of the technology in the school and pulling from her Chicago roots. She created compiled original video recordings and photographs and turned them into an immersive "field trip" through the streets of Chicago. Each stop features a voice recording by Deer in English, explaining famous sites like Wrigley Field and the Cloud Gate. 

Masa Israel Teaching Fellows

Masa Teaching Fellows are English-speaking post-college young adults who teach English in Israeli schools for one year. The fellows receive a stipend from the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government, rather than getting paid by the school. Thus, the program is able to add temporary faculty members at no cost to the schools. 

Some of them, like Deer, pursued qualifications in teaching during their university years, but the fellows are not required to have a certificate or degree in teaching to participate in the program.  

Beersheba City Hall (credit: BASWIM/CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)/VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Beersheba City Hall (credit: BASWIM/CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)/VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

Ofer Gutman, CEO of Masa Organization says: "On the occasion of International Teacher's Day, we applaud the 200 teachers from Masa Israel Teaching Fellows, Jewish young men and women from English-speaking countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa and England, who came to Israel to participate In a program that aims to enhance spoken English in 100 schools in the social and geographic periphery of Israel. For an entire school year,they get to experience Israel as locals and contribute to Israeli society, a true win-win for all sides involved."