Our ECC Educators
Esther Vaknin
Born in Tel Aviv and raised in Queens, NY, Esther Vaknin now lives in Roslyn. She is the head teacher for Nursery Aleph (3 year-olds). We interviewed her for her Teacher Bio.
Tell me a little about yourself. How did you come into teaching?
I have twin boys who are 28, and my youngest is 22. All three of my boys went to HANC, Mercaz Academy’s predecessor, and for a time I was head of the PTA. I was an assistant teacher for about 6 years for this age group, before I became head teacher.
What is your teaching philosophy?
My goal is to help each child reach their full potential—to work based on their ability, with a strong focus on their well-being, to help them with self-expression and to cultivate their strengths.
What do you love about teaching this age group?
The smiles on their faces when they actually get a concept, or when their eyes widen when they have the right answer and they’re so proud of themselves. I love doing projects with them—for example, we teach them about primary colors. We let them mix 3 colors, and paint whatever they wanted. They were so creative and uninhibited. They really made some beautiful, abstract paintings.
What’s the most challenging thing about teaching this age group?
The beginning of the school year, and initially getting to know each child as an individual, so that we can understand their personality and address their needs well.
When your students look back on this year, what is one thing you hope they will say about their year with you?
That they had fun learning.
Joanne Mlotok
Joanne Mlotok, or Morah Jo as she is affectionately called by her students, grew up in Farmingdale, New York. She now lives in Plainview, where she raised her four children, all of whom are graduates of HANC, Mercaz Academy’s predecessor. We interviewed her for her teacher bio.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Mercaz Academy?
I have been teaching early childhood for 24 years and have been the Early Childhood Coordinator at HANC for the past 4 years. I have a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential in early childhood education.
Did you always know you wanted to be a teacher?
Yes!! I always knew!
What do you enjoy about teaching Pre-K specifically?
It’s such a big year for kids in terms of their social-emotional development, and I just love being a part of that. I love helping nurture students’ independence and then watching their successes as they learn to do things on their own. I am as excited for their successes as they are!
Please share more about how you nurture their independence?
I use positive reinforcement to help students grow and build self-confidence. For example, with self-starting, even with simple tasks, such as putting on coats or putting away their belongings when they enter the classroom in the mornings…Instead of being too quick to jump in and do it for them, I encourage them with positive reinforcement that they can accomplish these tasks on their own. I require more from them in a loving, supportive way, so that they can find success on their own. I use this same approach when it comes to the academics.
You mentioned the academics – can you tell us a bit about the curriculum in Pre-K?
Sure. For reading, we use a program called “Fundations,” which is really the building blocks for reading. We introduce the students to letter sounds, letter recognition, and phonemic awareness and, after that, we begin formal letter writing.
We approach math through literature. We read a book to introduce a concept and then do an activity to help our understanding. We use a lot of manipulatives, group activities, and worksheets done as groups to help conceptualize math.
Each lesson is taught using differential learning. We use auditory learning, visual learning, and tactile learning when possible. Children process things differently, so first they listen to the lesson, then they may see me do it, and then they do it. We use all three modalities to help their understanding.
We also have Ulpan twice a week, as well as gym and library once a week. Our art projects are done in the classroom as part of our lessons.
Can you tell me more about the Judaic curriculum as well?
We discuss the parsha weekly on an age-appropriate level. Then we do a parsha project, reenact the story, or read a book about it. Depending on parsha, we also crossover the concepts into math, geography, or science. For example, when we learned about Noah’s Ark, we introduced the concept of pairs in math, and it was exciting for the children to link it with the parsha. When we learned about Election Day, we connected that to voting--our class tzedakah box was full and we voted on where to give the money. The students were very excited to have input into that! We also discuss and do projects for each holiday as it approaches.
On a daily basis we daven, and discuss chessed, middot, and mitzvot. My assistant Morah Alyssa and I always model kind words and using “please” and “thank you”. We also have a “Good Job Jar” in our classroom—we put in a pompom when a student uses extra care or kindness!
What is the toughest part of teaching this age group?
I would say balancing fun while also making sure to keep the students engaged and interested. I change things up for every new concept, making sure the curriculum is covered but recreating how it’s presented. Our goal is for the students to be prepared for Kindergarten, but it is all done through fun and learning!
Can you tell me a fun fact about yourself that we haven’t covered yet?
I enjoy being in nature and really love animals. I have two dogs, and enjoy taking them for walks. I often integrate these passions into my curriculum with special projects.