Dr. Sara Reichman leads monthly meeting for Hidden Sparks participating teachers.

Dr. Sara Reichman leads monthly grade level meeting for participating teachers.

Bnos Bais Yaakov (BBY) of Far Rockaway has been participating with Hidden Sparks since 2009.  Dr. Sara Reichman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, joined the Hidden Sparks team as an External Coach in 2008, and the relationship with Bnos Bais Yaakov’s faculty continues to flourish. According to Mrs. Penina Neuberg, Judaic Studies Principal, grades 1-4, and Ms. Devorah Kurland, General Studies Principal, grades 1-4, "Dr. Reichman is an integral part of the BBY team.  We benefit from her expertise, professionalism, and sincere dedication.  She has a keen insight of understanding children, and at the same time works very well with our teachers."

This year Dr. Reichman has been working with teachers in grades 1 and 2.  An important focus of this year’s work is on incorporating the use of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) into how teachers interact with their students. The goal of CPS is to have a child and teacher work together to define the relevant issue and then brainstorm solutions, with the ultimate goal of agreeing on a plan of action that is both realistic and mutually satisfying. As one Bnos Bais Yaakov teacher commented, "“Hidden Sparks has allowed me to reach every student and build a relationship with them as best as possible through excellent tools like collaborative problem solving, where the student plays a central role." Another teacher added, “As a participant of the Hidden Sparks program, I feel that it has made me aware of how to understand students and their issues, and has empowered me with techniques on problem solving."

Another Hidden Sparks goal for this year has been to focus on social cognition and on teaching social skills.  Dr. Reichman has gone into classrooms to present mini lessons on a variety of topics that would encourage empathy and caring within each class. She also has worked with the teachers to give them guidance in how to address social concerns within the classroom and strategies to implement for individual students who show a weakness in the social arena.

However, the cornerstone of Hidden Sparks and Dr. Reichman’s coaching work is to observe struggling students in the first and second grades, and then meet with their teachers on a regular basis to formulate strategies to address the academic, behavioral and social needs of their students.

“It is a true pleasure to be a Hidden Sparks Coach at BBY” says Dr. Reichman. “I deeply believe that every child has strengths and weaknesses.  It is vital to strengthen a child’s strengths and give them the opportunity to shine. It is also essential to identify where they may show weaknesses and to develop strategies to address areas of concern.  It is extremely gratifying to see the wonderful teachers at BBY adapt their teaching to meet a child’s needs”.