Bracha Yanni, K-8 Judaic/Hebrew Studies Curriculum Coordinator
BIO: Bracha Yanni has been an educator for well over 18 years, spanning roles from classroom teacher to working in administration and curriculum design. Bracha began her journey in education by working with children with Autism at Shema Kolainu school in Brooklyn. It was working with these special children that Bracha understood the transformative power we have as educators to change the lives of our students - we just need to believe in them and advocate for them. From there she continued to teach in the regular ed settings spanning grades Kindergarten to 8th grade. Bracha graduated with an MS Degree from Touro College in Psychology and Education. From there she continued her studies and earned her second master’s degree from Brooklyn College in Education as a NY State Certified School Building Leader. Her journey as an educator goes far beyond the formal classroom setting. Bracha considers herself a lifelong learner with a passion for education. She completed training through the Educational Leadership Advancement Initiative with the Lookstein Center at Bar at Ilan University, then joined the Principal's Training Initiative through the Consortium of Jewish Education. She has studied technology in the classroom through specific TEQ training and has graduated from the Educational Coaching and Mentoring program through Hidden Sparks.
In 2014, Bracha was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award at Bnos Malka Academy in Queens. Her most recent extended study was through the Multi-Sensory Kriah Course, an extensive training on the methodology and techniques in teaching students with dyslexia and other language delays how to read and write Hebrew through Multi-sensory modalities. She is trained in the Tal-Am and Lehavin Ulihaskil Hebrew Language programs as a facilitator in those curricula. Bracha holds true to the ideal that as an educator we must teach to the needs of our students to help mold the precious souls that are given to us, to nurture their learning styles and value them as individuals.
Most recently, Bracha has initiated a network for Jewish Curriculum coordinators, leading discussions, and panels on the future of Curriculum Design in Jewish day schools and Yeshivas. Bracha currently lives in Long Island with her beautiful family and six children.
I became a curriculum coordinator because… I love taking on new creative projects. Mastering one and then moving on to another. After many years in the classroom, I really began to master curriculum development and the art of developing engaging and creative lessons. I took this as an opportunity to expand my role as teacher mentor and begin to support teachers on a wider and broader scale. My hope is to help teachers excel as educators and hone their skills as engaging Morim and Morot.
My vision for our children is… that they develop their love for learning Torah and find joy and pride for Jewish subjects. I envision our students having a strong foundation in Jewish literacy and texts, a deep love for the Land of Israel, and be able to connect authentically with prayer and the Hebrew language.
My advice to parents is… to help our children develop a strong sense of self and self-confidence with good middot and refined character traits. There is a famous quote in Judaism that goes, “Who is truly happy? One who is happy with his lot” – this idiom personifies the idea that when we are grateful for what we are given then we can wholeheartedly be happy and develop a sense of confidence in oneself.
I became a teacher because… firstly, I felt that I could make a difference in the classroom. To be a loving and warm compassionate Morah was always something I admired and couldn’t wait to be. I absolutely adore and love the creative minds of young children and their sponge-like ability to grasp knowledge and create. I always knew that I would be a teacher. I hold strongly to the belief that knowledge is power and if I was given the gift of being able to teach and connect with young students then this is where I wanted to spend my time. As a Jewish educator, I specifically feel an integral part of the chain of mesorah – to help pass down Jewish tradition and history in a way that our children can warmly and wholeheartedly connect to.
If I could teach my students one thing it would be… “If we try hard, we will succeed.” True effort reaps rich rewards.
Outside of school I like to… host guests in my home, spend time with my family and children and of course read when I can.
