By Noy Alon and Min Park
News Reports
This year’s Ann Eliot-Holmes Award for Excellence in Teaching Award has been awarded to Newton South English teacher Alan Reinstein.
Recipients of this award are chosen by a committee of former winners, as well as Ann Eliot-Holmes herself.
Reinstein was chosen because of his engaging, musical teaching style, as well as his focus on the performing arts in the classroom.
English department head Brian Baron describes Reinstein’s approach to each lesson in the classroom as being comparable to that of a performance designed to energize students.
“Every year I go to his classes. There is always a lot of energy in his room, no matter what’s going on, he’s found some creative way to keep kids engaged,” Baron said. “Even if it is a very simple lesson that does not necessarily require that of him.”
Indeed, class performances are a central to the learning experience in Reinstein’s classroom.
Last Friday, Baron visited one of Reinstein’s classes and observed that his students had to present a section of their Romeo and Juliet essay in front of the class. While many teachers may solely require that essays be turned in on the day that they are due, Reinstein elects to clearly signify to his students the substance of each class.
“There is always a sense you’re doing something important when you’re in his room,” Baron said.
When it comes to playing music in the classroom, Reinstein was inspired by his time as a teacher at Sharon High School.
“I shared a room with a terrific American language teacher named John Brandy, who was a big Beatles fan and every day he had a Beatles song which started the class period,” Reinstein said. “It was kind of his frame of the class, so when the kids would just shuffle in or come in, he had the music on and they knew that as soon as the music stopped that it was time for class to start.”
Reinstein also taught a songwriting class with Mr. Youngman almost five years ago, which has helped him teach the classes he has now by using the sound of music in the classroom.
Although Reinstein himself and his students enjoy the music he plays in class, he can never tell if this actually makes his students more productive.
“I think there are some teaching values and thinking values to it but I never really tested if it was productive or not. There was never a way to measure it,” Reinstein said. “It’s just not really a part of the curriculum.”
In describing how Reinstein actually goes about playing music in the classroom, freshman student Noah Whiting explains how every week the class has a song of the week week that relates to what they are currently learning.
Reinstein also plays the guitar on occasion in class in addition to singing songs he has written.
“He starts singing about what we’re learning like Romeo and Juliet and it’s fun and it gets everyone engaged,” Whiting said.
Beyond playing music in the classroom, freshman Kimita Tabatabaei notes how supportive Reinstein is when it comes to helping his students succeed.
“If you’re behind on any work, he is very understanding and he goes through things slowly if you don’t understand them,” Tabatabaei said. “He is very patient.”
Deborah Bernhard, a Newton South English teacher who had Mr.Reinstein as a freshman, agrees with what his students had to say about him. As someone who was both his student and is now a fellow colleague, she has come to deeply appreciate his teaching style.
“I think music as an art form is just the right amount of similar and different to literature as an art form, so they can work off of each other and complement each other in really nice ways,” she said.
In bringing music to the classroom, Reinstein often tries to play a song that is related to the material that students are learning so that they can establish a creative connection with the music.
“To me it feels that the attention given to trying to find the creative connection between a book and any random song creatively bind the two things together,” Reinstein said. “[It] makes it a very creative thinking process and has really great benefits.”
Reinstein also noted how playing music in the classroom is a very joyful experience for the class as a whole, helping the students to become more comfortable in the classroom.
“I think in some ways it’s a joyful routine, so this is something students can look forward to and enjoy. It’s also a part of creating a classroom where students are comfortable,” he said.
Kristen Miquel, a freshman in the Linked program, echoes Reinstein in saying that music helps her relax and relieve her of stress, while also creating a different atmosphere than in most classrooms.
“He is a good teacher and I think it’s cool that he sings to us because it makes the class more of an interactive experience,” Miquel said.
According to Baron, Reinstein’s ability to create a fun, engaging atmosphere that his students enjoy is the reason why he deserves this award.
“I’m just really proud of him and his accomplishment. I think he is a wonderful teacher and a wonderful human being. He’s one of the people that I most respect in my professional and personal life,” Baron said. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving for this award than him.”
