Hidden Sparks Impact: A Principal’s Perspective Rabbi Sebbag, Yeshiva Darchei Menachem

Rabbi Yaakov Sebbag understand the importance of a school fostering an atmosphere where all children can thrive. As principal of Yeshiva Darchei Menachem, a unique boys’ yeshiva in Crown heights, he strives daily to create a learning environment that supports and celebrates the school’s students, many of whom have significant behavioral and academic challenges.

Two years ago, Yeshiva Darchei Menachem embarked on a partnership with Hidden Sparks, which began with bringing Andrea Rousso, a senior Hidden Sparks coach into the school on a regular basis to work with teachers and administrators in their efforts to better understand the range of diverse learning styles present in the school. Since beginning to coach at Yeshiva Darchei Menachem, Ms. Rousso has noticed an increase in discussion amongst teachers regarding their mutual students as they develop a common non-judgmental label-free language for talking about students, as well as the expanded use of Collaborative Problem Solving. This fall, she and Rabbi Sebbag attended a conference on this topic and comments, “CPS was always part of the school’s mindset, but adults were doing most of the talking- there is more collaboration with students now.”

Since then, Rabbi Sebbag has joined the Hidden Sparks Leadership program, which has focused this year on supporting administrators as they develop professional learning communities in their school. In collaboration with Ms. Rousso, he builds on the Hidden Sparks training that faculty receive by promoting Hidden Sparks practices and in doing so, has cultivated a school culture where all children can succeed, creating a model for education in his community. Ms. Rousso confirms, “The majority of teachers, even if not directly participating in Hidden Sparks can’t wait to talk to me. They are all totally invested.”

In part one of this series, “Hidden Sparks Impact: A Principal’s Perspective”, we interviewed Rabbi Sebbag and asked him to share his thoughts on the impact that Hidden Sparks has had on the school and its hundred students.

HS: What were your first impressions of Hidden Sparks?

RS: It started with Andrea [Rousso- I joined her coaching sessions and monthly meetings and we got along very well. Andrea works with teachers from all different grades- Judaic and secular, and teachers love her. She is able to walk in to any classroom and because she is so positive, no one ever feels that they are being attacked or feel any reason for discomfort. That is her gift. She adapts to the needs of the teachers- she doesn’t force a set program or way of doing something.

SD: Where do you think Andrea’s coaching has impacted the most?

RS: At the moment, the impact is in the mindset of “Children do well if they can.” She has had a big impact on the leadership- myself and Rabbi Vale [Assistant Principal] and on many teachers.

HS: Before Hidden Sparks, what was the professional development focus of the school?

RS: A lot of the focus had been in the Hebrew department, not in the secular department. That is something that has changed as a result of Hidden Sparks [which encourages coaching and collaboration between departments]. There was very limited professional development, especially for the secular staff, and the focus was on what do we need to learn, what are the standards, on curriculum.

HS: And now?

RS: This year we put a tremendous amount of focus on PD- a mixture between curriculum for all departments- Hebrew and secular- and on better teaching methods and better teaching practices. Not just what but how.

HS: What had you been looking for when you yourself took the Hidden Sparks training and joined the leadership program?

RS: From the course, I took away the value for what Hidden Sparks has to offer our school. Andrea was coming to the school, but there was concern for sustainability of the themes she was driving. To see it first hand at the course- it really opened my eyes to what Andrea was doing here and how important it is for us.

I had wanted to network with other leaders- but I came out with much more. We came in the first day and Elizabeth [Fox, Director of Education] and Esther [Kramer, Educational Leadership] really listened to what the staff were saying. The second time we met, when they had brought in professionals on those particular subjects- it was refreshing to have that kind of responsiveness.

Every Friday the secular studies teachers get together and meet and have a workshop and now that I went to the Leadership program, we have started doing the PLCs [professional learning communities] and they have been a tremendous success. Jeanne Rotunda [a PLC expert who had made a presentation to the Leadership group] had recommended that we start out with the PLCs once a month. After the first Friday that we did it, it was so successful, that the teachers asked that we do it again. The things that they have been able to come up with in these PLCs- there’s no way I could have accomplished that on my own, in terms of enthusiasm, drive and ideas. That was a direct result of the Hidden Sparks Leadership Program.

HS: Do you see trickle down to the students?

RS: Certainly, when a teacher walks into a classroom with a mindset and knowledge that the child has a multi-step processing disorder rather than a mindset that the child is lazy, the way the teachers treats the student is very different and the way the student responds is different.

I feel like I am invested in Hidden Sparks and what they do and in turn the entire leadership is invested. I am looking forward this year to sending more people to the Internal Coach Training and I think it’s such an important mission to reach every child. We shouldn’t have a school in our community that feels like certain students are not worth teaching because of some type of blockade.