WHAT'S GOING ON NOW:

Outstanding Preschool Teacher-Zipi Wolman

Creating a Home Away from Home
Wolman’s preschool class is a toddler’s first taste of independence

For Zipi Wolman, her students at the Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School are part of the family.

“I don’t have kids of my own—they are my kids,” she says.

Wolman has been teaching 2-year-olds there for 25 years. She’s earned a reputation for having a dedication that goes far beyond the classroom. After the school day has ended, she can be found teaching Hebrew and preparing boys and girls for their bar and bat mitzvahs, and paying visits to her students’ homes. “The kids come first, all the time,” she says. “I always go visit them at home if there is a problem or they’re sick or maladjusted.”

Wolman grew up in Israel but left after her parents refused to let her marry the person she wanted. She moved in with an aunt in New York City and started working as baby-sitter and learning English. A parent of one of the children she baby-sat recommended she substitute at Park East. When a full-time teacher got sick, Wolman got the job.

Wolman says she’s always known she wanted to be a teacher. “All my life I’ve loved kids—from day one. And I still love them.”

Barbara Etra, the principal, says Wolman is one of their most beloved teachers. “She puts her soul into each one of our children,” Etra said. “She’s extremely popular with our parents because they know their children are safe and loved in her care.”

For the 2-year-old students at Park East, the focus is on making them independent and used to being in a school environment. That includes potty training, and parents have been known to describe Wolman as the guru in that field. For many students, Wolman’s class may be their first extended time away from their parents. Wolman is there to make the transition as easy as possible. “I believe in giving them love, attention and to listen to them all the time,” she says. “I hug them to give them security, so they feel like they can come to school and trust me.” Wolman seems to have a magic touch—many students ask if they can come every day, even if they’re not supposed to.

Wolman says she never gives time outs or punishments. Instead, she, says, “I know how to talk to a child.” And when it comes to meeting with parents or sending home daily progress reports, Wolman has a knack for communicating with them, too. “I always say the worst thing the nicest way to the parents, so they accept it and never get upset,” she said.

As for students dealing with the terrible twos, it doesn’t phase Wolman. “I love them evenly, all the kids,” she said. “Even the ones that bite or push.”

— Courtney McLeod