New GOA Students Reflect on Learning Style

By Leo Milch ‘27
While everyone has been adjusting to the new school year at Golda Och, ten new high school students who transferred from the Idea School have been adapting to a different type of learning than they were used to. 

The Idea School was a Jewish project-based learning institution located in Tenafly, NJ, which opened in 2018 but was forced to close at the end of the 2022/23 academic year due to residual effects of the pandemic. 
The 40 students at The Idea School have dispersed to Golda Och Academy, Kushner, Leffel, Frisch, and other Jewish schools in the Tri-State Area.
New GOA junior Shir Heicklen said, “It’s honestly really hard adjusting because The Idea School was so lax, but not in a bad way. You could learn how you wanted to. You could express your creativity in a way you can't at any other school, and it's hard to have to go back to the norm after that.” 
This is a relatable perspective for The Idea School students, as there are significant differences between the academic approach of Golda Och and The Idea School’s style of learning. 
GOA Upper School Principal Dr. Apter reinforced the commonality between the two schools’ approaches. “In the classroom, students are engaged in the learning by doing rather than absorbing information presented by the teachers. Student choice is available for some classes in the high school, and for many projects assigned across the middle and high school, students have a choice in the content and product,” he said.
“Our 12th grade Independent Study class encourages students to find their passion project, our Academic Elective Blocks give middle school students the opportunity to choose different topics that interest them, and our Tefillah options in the high school give students more ownership in the ways in which they express their spirituality,” he said.
At Golda Och, the assignments are common across the class, while at The Idea School, most assignments were individual student-led projects. The only traditional subject at The Idea School with assessments and traditional homework was math. 
Golda Och is more structured than The Idea School, which can aid students in building up their ability to adapt to change and be independent. 
Sophomore Yael Benzaquen said, “I really like the art and STEM program here. It’s much more structured than programs in other schools I have been to, and it’s really nice to have that space to work in."
While the integration of these schools is not necessarily easy, everyone has been able to come together to make the learning experience work for everyone.
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