ELLEN GELLER KAMARAS
“My vision as a young adult? I always wanted to be a principal and make a big impact on education. Instead, after teaching for twenty-seven years, I became a teacher coach, principal mentor, and workshop presenter. I speak nationwide.” ~~ Etti ~~
Please meet Etti Siegel, an adjunct professor, a teacher coach, principal mentor, an educational consultant and workshop presenter, a master teacher, and a writer. Etti radiates energy and passion for her work.
Roots
Etti grew up in Philadelphia and is one of nine children, the second to the oldest. It’s not surprising that she became an educator since both her parents, Shmuel and Khana Globman, were both teachers. Etti learned sign language as a child since four of her siblings are deaf, their deafness ranging from moderate to severe. Etti employs sign language in her classroom. For example, she has made pesukim (verses) in Humash come alive with sign language and often includes sign language when she teaches the Ma Nishtana.
The Globmans sent their children to yeshivot in Philadelphia. When Etti’s high school closed during 10th grade, her parents sent her to board with family friends in Brooklyn. She studied at Prospect Park Yeshivah where her close friend from Camp Sternberg, Rivkah Cabasso Dahan, also was a student. “It was a dream to be able to hang out with Rivkah. I ate my first Syrian food at her house, yum!”
As a child, Etti was either studious or a troublemaker, depending on her teacher. She loved reading and drama, and was often pushed into the spotlight to interpret for her brothers.
Journey to Queens
After graduating high school, Etti began her college studies and taught in day schools in Philadelphia for two years. On a visit to her sister in Queens, Etti’s naseeb, Chaim Siegel, was visiting a family on the same block. Her brother-in-law thought it would be a good idea to set them up. They immediately clicked and the rest is history. Etti moved to Queens and taught close to home at Bais Yaakov of Queens in the mornings for twenty-five years, and at Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe in the afternoon for six years.
In addition to teaching, Etti held positions as head counselor at Simcha Day Camp for nine years and Camp Dina overnight camp for four years. She and Chaim worked together for approximately 13 years at these camps. When Etti became a coach, she stopped running camps.
Etti is proud of her husband’s first position as a successful rebbe for 19 years and his second career as a Physician Assistant/Associate at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, a world-renowned trauma hospital.
Etti’s Evolution
After 18 years of teaching, Etti returned to school to complete her training and finally get her master’s degree in educational leadership.
It seems Etti was meant to be a teacher, as Hashem sent the Siegel’s their own little class to raise when Etti gave birth to triplets. Although their two-year-old little helper always underfoot, Chaim and Etti enjoyed this new challenge, and Etti gained a lot of insight into preemies, multiples, and the world of intervention. Though Etti and Chaim were so grateful for all the beneficial therapies, they were thankful that as the triplets grew, they no longer needed the extra help. This experience enabled Etti to help others later.
Chaim describes his wife as passionate, energetic, caring, a creative thinker, and a problem solver. She is also dynamic, driven, organized, and outgoing. Etti says she’s an extrovert who is also an introvert at times. When she comes home from a long day of work, she needs down time and a quiet break before she heads out again.
Fulfilling Etti’s Life Dreams
With six young children at home and almost two decades of teaching under her belt, Etti decided she wanted to complete her bachelor’s degree and then continue for a master’s degree specializing in teaching, learning, and educational leadership.
“The little girl in me always wanted to be a principal. Instead, after many years of teaching, I became a teacher coach, principal mentor, and workshop presenter. I am doing what I always wanted to do. I just didn’t realize that principals don’t do what I do, they are too busy! They call me in to help them.”
Etti creates her own workshops and helps in the areas where principals need her expertise and vibrant style. This includes observing the teachers, guiding them to make use of the best educational practices, modeling, creating exciting lessons, and managing their classrooms. Etti determines what might be going wrong and how to address the problem. She shows teachers how to make teaching more enjoyable for both the teachers and their students. She creatively employs her knowledge of literacy, science, history, classroom management, and social and emotional learning.
“It’s lonely at the top for principals and they appreciate my support,” Etti says. She greatly admires both the teachers who are very idealistic and want to be the best educators and the amazing principals she meets who want to run the best schools possible.
A Job Well Done
Her proudest accomplishment is helping struggling teachers become master teachers.
Etti has mentored and worked with many principals and teachers as well as parents to transform difficult experiences in the classroom. After her intervention there is a significant improvement, leading to a positive year of growth in learning. Her personal thirst for growth constantly benefits those who learn from her.
Etti currently works in several Sephardic schools including YDE, Ateret Torah, and Shaare Torah, in Ashkenaz yeshivot and day schools, and in Chassidish schools. Etti also teaches lesson planning and classroom management at Sarah Schenirer College.
Etti gets fired up about kids, adults, and education and making learning and schools great. “The coolest part? The schools apply for government grants for the services my fellow coaches and I provide. My childhood friend Rivkah Dahan was a coach first and got me my first paying coaching job.”
Role Models and Mentors
Etti’s role models include first her parents and then her sister Khavi Rosenshein, who is a principal at Bnot Yaakov, a Persian school in Great Neck. “Bnot Yaakov is the ideal of what a school should be.”
Etti’s other mentors and role models are Mr. Richie Altabe, former Head of School at Shaare Torah and current principal at HALB. Etti had the zechut of working for him at Simcha Day Camp for nine years. Rav Sholom Kamenetzky, Rosh Yeshiva of Philadelphia Yeshiva, has been Etti’s parents’ friend and neighbor ever since she was a girl. Etti felt that living so close to such an esteemed person and his wife affected how she perceives the world, and she feels blessed to have that connection.
Balance and Community
Etti appreciates that her children have absorbed meaningful messages by hearing her coaching teachers over the phone or on Zoom. Chaim and their children are very proud of Etti’s achievements. Several of her adult children followed in Etti’s path and became top-notch educators.
Etti thrives on going to local exercise classes with neighbors and friends. To relax and recharge, she also enjoys reading and catching up with friends.
The Siegels enjoy their small, friendly community in Kew Gardens, Queens. “Everyone celebrates everything with each other. Even though there are a few shuls, people walk over to each simcha, to each event, as one.”
Etti gives women’s Pirkei Avot shiurim in the summer in Kew Gardens.
Challenges and Secrets to Success
Referring to herself as a wandering nomad, Etti explains her challenges and success. “[I have] no office, no place to put my stuff down. New teachers can be intimidated to work with me, but as the culture of coaching has become normalized, this has gotten a lot better. Now teachers request help, a new and exciting development.”
Etti’s secret to success is that she loves people and especially loves helping them. “I learn so much from the people I meet and work with. I don’t see my work as a job, but as a real privilege. I am so fortunate!”
As a person who loves learning, Etti consistently strives to enhance her skills and is always growing professionally. When Covid hit, she learned to operate Zoom quickly, because she was suddenly teaching teachers how to use Zoom effectively.
Etti writes for The Jewish Home weekly newspaper to help schools to understand parents, and parents to understand schools, and she answers school-related questions.
Etti has also written for HaMechanech Magazine, and the Journal of Jewish Day School Leadership. She writes on a wide variety of subjects, including the benefits of collaboration between schools and parents that is necessary for promoting student success and allowing kids to fail. Be sure to check her pieces out!
Career Advice
“There is nothing as rewarding as teaching! It gives you a wonderful community and keeps your neshama in a learning and growing place.”
You can connect with Etti at Professorettisiegel@gmail.com.
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Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach. Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching. Ellen is active in her community and is currently the President of Congregation Bnai Avraham in Brooklyn Heights. She can be contacted at ellen@lifecoachellen.com (www.lifecoachellen.com).