My Favorite Teacher

Today, August 1st, is a wonderful opportunity to explore and read about other schools, other places and other teachers beyond the perimeter of our own “neighborhood.” For instance Gabriella and Suzanne went to schools in Fair Lawn, a suburb of Paterson developed on what was formerly farmland and cornfields after the War, and where many Jews migrated mostly from Paterson starting in the 1950’s and 60’s. It sounds as if they could have gone to school in ”our town.” No matter where we grew up, when we peel back the layers, we all feel the same. We all had at least one special teacher who took the time to introduce us to new concepts or just to make us feel valued. We will remember them always. Please read below about Mrs. Kleinman and Mrs. Yehaskel. .Dorothy Douma Greene, Past President of the JHSNJ.

My Favorite Teacher: While I’ve had the good fortune of learning from many wonderful educators throughout my schooling, one teacher who left a lasting impression on me was my Radburn Elementary School third grade teacher, Mrs. Beatrice Kleinman. She was warm, approachable, and had a great sense of humor that made her classroom one I looked forward to going to every day.

One particular memory that stands out is our journal writing assignment. Mrs. Kleinman didn’t just collect our notebooks—she read them all with care. Although I can’t recall every detail of my entries, I clearly remember how she took the time to peruse each story, often times commenting on the specifics of my submissions. She made me feel like a valued and cared for student and I remember her fondly.

Gabriella (Gabi) Citrin

Gabriella Citrin — Gabriella (Gabi) during her years at Radburn.

My Favorite Teacher: When I think back to Mrs. Sara Yehaskel’s 6th grade class at Milnes School in Fair Lawn, I fondly remember her referring to us, her students, as “Chickadees.” This evoked a lot of feelings of love and warmth, a sense that we were cared for by a loving mother during our hours at school. She had a phrase posted on the wall which said something like, “Chickadees don’t walk or talk during lessons.” When one of us chickadees walked or talked during her instruction, we read that poster aloud three times to help remind ourselves and everyone else about the expectation.

Mrs. Yehaskel presented new concepts in a fun and exciting way. In Math, which was a challenge for me, she would present something new by writing the concept, such as a fraction, in huge writing on the board. Then we would analyze it together, breaking it into smaller parts and working with it to meet the learning objective. In her Science class, I will always remember doing a handstand against the wall to see if water could indeed be swallowed while someone was upside down. (Spoiler: it can!)

I will mostly remember our time writing together. Mrs. Yehaskel always had inspiring models of different genres, and I would look forward to being released to write my own pieces. When writing in her class, I always felt like a real writer. I internalized all of the steps of the writing process, from brainstorming to drafting, editing, peer review, and “publishing” or sharing aloud. Sometimes we co-wrote with a peer, which taught us the value of listening to others’ ideas, being flexible with our own, and about how multiple perspectives could synthesize singular ideas into something bigger and better. I hope Mrs. Yehaskel knows that students have positive memories that last through adulthood from their well-spent time in her classroom.

Suzanne Manning née Mechanic