by Asher Matthews, Temple Sholom As a songleader at my synagogue, my one-on-one interaction with students is limited, and so I have to be creative in order to find ways to make a positive impact. With that being said, by recognizing that obstacle for what it is, a challenge, as opposed to a setback or roadblock, I have been able to find ways around it. I’ve found countless methods to make an impact on students without talking to them directly just by embracing the challenge, and TAP has helped me to learn that connecting with students with disabilities doesn’t [...]

by Charlotte McMackin, Kol Emet I have always loved teaching. Helping children discover their love for learning has been one of the best parts of this experience working as a teaching aid. Something I love about working with children is how honest they are about what they need and how I can help them. One of the things I learned during the TAP program was to pay close attention to my students' emotional changes. This is especially true for students with learning differences who may feel down or frustrated in class. I made it a point to ask what [...]

by Syd Silverman, Adath Jeshurun TAP was truly an opportunity that I am grateful to have been given. I learned so many valuable skills not only in working with children with disabilities, but skills that I can use in my day to day life. Not to mention, I made so many friends that shared the same values of learning as well. I have always enjoyed working with children, and over the past year, I was lucky to get to volunteer at my Hebrew school, and work as a CIT at my day camp. I was offered the opportunity of [...]