----- Original Message ----- From: Esther Revivo - estherrv@xxxxxxxxxxx Subject: "HOTS and Literature" course and on the job Evrea wrote: "...I don't think that should stop us from arguing for our right to compensation for marking reading logs and giving Bagrut grades for them, for having to take courses in the new program, and for being involved in this exciting and innovative new program. 1-Let me first say that I am presently taking the on-line course with Mitzi Gefen. The course is extremely interesting and I am greatly enjoying it. I hope that I continue to feel this way when we get to the real HOT part of the course. Whether I will teach the program remains to me seen. How nice that Ron Erez finally saw fit to write a letter, no matter what it included, after "standing up" our colleagues who slaved to organize a meeting with the Irgun at ETAI ! 2- I have never heard of teachers getting paid for an in-service course except for the gmulim. Even in other fields I don't know of people who get paid to do such courses. For example, my daughter-in-law is a high powered graphic artist-- she is made to attend such courses; another friend of mine is in charge of her school's p.c. room and she is constantly "upgrading" her knowledge at Matach without payment... 3- I most emphatically agree with these words by Evrea: " Demanding that we be paid for our work doesn't mean that we can't be enthusiastic about a literature program. " I find it hard to believe that any teacher of weak four pointers can be "gung ho" for this change in the Bagrut program. For, we all know and have felt the pressure by parents AND principals to somehow push these kids through. And by blood, sweat and tears we have often succeeded in doing just that. But there is a limit to how much we can do. It is the ultimate chutzpa for anyone to say (and thankfully I haven't heard anyone say this aloud here :) that teachers who are ambivalent about the program are lazy; opposed to change; and probably don't like or teach literature in any event. We EFL teachers have done too much for too long without recompense and enough is enough! Having said that, I can't help but ask myself...... Am I going to TEACH the Hots come September? To be totally honest I really can't give an answer. Why? Because as I've said so many times before, our pupils in the peripheral areas of Israel have the chips stacked against them as it is. I can only hope that the Irgun (to whom I moved earlier this year because of the Ofek Chadash issue,) finally gets its act together and works out a solution with the MOE. And to me that doesn't mean simply saying, "Don't do projects," or "Don't do HOTS." I don't see myself putting yet more stumbling blocks in front of our Ulpana's pupils. Believe me, they have enough to deal with without any more of them! ----------------------------------------------- ** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org or - http://www.etni.org.il ** ** for help - ask@xxxxxxxx ** ** to post to this list - etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** -----------------------------------------------