by Noah Katcher
I am currently a high school freshman and I started working at my local Hebrew school, Ohev Shalom, as an aid this year. I help out my teacher, Morah Allison, with the third grade class. This is my first year as a TAP teen but I can see why people come back. TAP has helped and improved my skills to help children with disabilities. I now understand and can identify different disabilities and ways to assist children.
Being a part of the TAP program makes me feel good because I know I am making a difference by better educating the children that I aid. It is also fun to teach important Jewish values to children younger than me.
A helpful strategy that is demonstrated in my classroom is the use of “fidgets”. Some kids may have problems with paying attention or just sitting still. In my class, we like to use Play-Doh as a toy to keep the kids learning while moving something between their hands. I’ve found that this helps extraordinarily if kids are constantly moving or not paying attention. TAP has taught me so much and I can’t wait to keep bringing what I’ve learned to my synagogue.