ON-SITE TEACHER
David Derin
David has spent his teaching career on both coasts, starting his journey in Greenwich, CT before returning to his native Los Angeles, CA. Over the years David has taught Bible, Hebrew language, philosophy, history, and English language. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, David coordinates parent education at the Heschel Day School in Northridge, CA. When not in the classroom, David can be found out on the field coaching flag football, soccer, and volleyball. Whether teaching in the classroom or out on the field, David believes deeply in the power of relationships and how they can deepen one's learning.
A graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), David earned a B.A. in History and Social Science Education. He holds a Masters in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Newton, MA, as well as a certificate in special education. This coming May, David will be graduating from USC's Rossier School of Education with a Doctorate of Education (EdD).
My Courses
MAUS I: A Narrative of Generational Struggle and Identity (Grades: All)
35 years after the Holocaust ended, Art Spiegelman published the graphic novel MAUS. Taking 13 years to complete, MAUS is based upon a series of interviews Spiegelman conducted with his father Vladek. The resulting volumes tell Vladek Spiegelman's story in pre-WWII Poland as the events leading up to and at the start of the Holocaust began to unfold. This course will read the first of the two volumes of MAUS. In unpacking Vladek's story, which moves between Europe on the eve of and at the start of WWII and New York in the 1970's, this course will consider how struggling against oppression not only impacts the identity of those experiencing it, but those in their families for generations to come. In reading MAUS I, we will consider our own families' stories and how even the things we have not experienced have shaped us into the people we are today.