Arthur Birenbaum Reading, writing, arithmetic and character
“You want to be ‘that’ teacher,” Arthur Birenbaum’s mother told him. “Te one the students are going to remember.” Troughout his career in the York Region
District School Board, Birenbaum has been “that” teacher, instilling in his students char- acter development. At Richmond Rose Public School, he
inaugurated the “Integrity Team” of grade 5/6 students who taught their peers to take responsibility for one another. As a result, Birenbaum received York Region’s first Ed- ucator of Character Award for his initiative and its impact. One example: days before embarking
on a leadership retreat, one of his students came into his classroom crying. “I can’t go on the retreat; I just punched Howie in the face.” Birenbaum calmly replied: “What did they say when you reported this in the office?” Student: “I’m just on my way to tell them now. I can’t
do something like that and not tell.” Birenbaum: “Tat’s exactly why you
ARE coming on the retreat.” “It’s not about being a perfect person,” in-
sists Birenbaum. “It’s about dealing with situ- ations as they come up in the most respon- sible way — and [this student] showed that.” Birenbaum has entrenched the same val-
ues in his current placement, Richmond Hill’s new Kettle Lakes Public School, which he calls remarkably diverse and welcoming. He opted to teach in the public school
system as opposed to Jewish day schools, to which Aish Hatorah’s founding Rabbi Noah Weinberg once commented, “I’m so glad to hear that. Every child deserves the best educa- tion possible and if they can get it from a guy wearing a kippah, then they learn something in addition to whatever you’re teaching.” A woman once approached Birenbaum,
saying, “you were my grown-up son’s Grade 3 teacher. He speaks fondly of you to this day.” Hearing that, he called his mother im- mediately, saying, “Mom, guess what?”
“It’s not about being a perfect person. It’s about dealing with situations as they come up in the most responsible way.”
Photography by credit
Fall 2010
friday night
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