- HOME
- Table of Contents
- Resume
- Philosophy Statement
- 1. History of Jewish/General Education
- 2. Assessment
- 3. Curriculum
- 4. Language Development/Hebrew
- 5. Personal Development of Teachers
- 6. Collaboration/Community
- 7. Technology
- 8. Learning and Cognition
- 9. Evidence-Based Practice
- 10. Child Development
- 11. Content Knowledge
- 12. Ethics and Values
- 13. Instructional Methods
- Inspiration/Chizuk
- Post-Observation Reflections
Humor
The Gemara suggests that a rebbi begin his shiur with “something funny”, because it “opens the heart”, which makes one open to “having respect and listening”. People, unfortunately and mistakenly, often assume that religion is meant to be prohibitive, austere, and denying pleasure. “Yir’ah”, or fear of –d, is indeed a crucial element of worship of G-d, but it only half; the other part, “Ahava”, the love, pleasure, and connection is more enjoyable, inspiring, and is arguably better motivation for people to adhere to religious beliefs and actions. It is common sense, and studies show, that parents and teachers who emphasize the happy, joyful, and pleasurable aspects of Judaism are more successful in imbuing religious education in their students who then exhibit greater internalization and actualization of Torah ideals. Indeed, students often identify their favorite teachers as those who exude excitement and pleasure in teaching and in Judaism. Happiness, however, does not imply shallow pleasure, but rather a deeply enjoyable experience connected with meaning.
Play
It is very important to allow children to be children, such as providing the freedom to play. Children learn and develop psychologically, socially, even physically with healthy play in proper contexts. Imaginations are nurtured, relationships are forged, and thinking skills are sharpened as children play individually or with others. Studies even show that students who did not learn particular skills in school, but engaged in games that promoted those skills, scored higher on tests than children who DID learn it in school; this is possibly because they developed an inner motivation to master the skills, which they viewed as a game or a challenge they could solve, rather than as a burden and another negative encounter with the information like their counterparts.
The Gemara suggests that a rebbi begin his shiur with “something funny”, because it “opens the heart”, which makes one open to “having respect and listening”. People, unfortunately and mistakenly, often assume that religion is meant to be prohibitive, austere, and denying pleasure. “Yir’ah”, or fear of –d, is indeed a crucial element of worship of G-d, but it only half; the other part, “Ahava”, the love, pleasure, and connection is more enjoyable, inspiring, and is arguably better motivation for people to adhere to religious beliefs and actions. It is common sense, and studies show, that parents and teachers who emphasize the happy, joyful, and pleasurable aspects of Judaism are more successful in imbuing religious education in their students who then exhibit greater internalization and actualization of Torah ideals. Indeed, students often identify their favorite teachers as those who exude excitement and pleasure in teaching and in Judaism. Happiness, however, does not imply shallow pleasure, but rather a deeply enjoyable experience connected with meaning.
Play
It is very important to allow children to be children, such as providing the freedom to play. Children learn and develop psychologically, socially, even physically with healthy play in proper contexts. Imaginations are nurtured, relationships are forged, and thinking skills are sharpened as children play individually or with others. Studies even show that students who did not learn particular skills in school, but engaged in games that promoted those skills, scored higher on tests than children who DID learn it in school; this is possibly because they developed an inner motivation to master the skills, which they viewed as a game or a challenge they could solve, rather than as a burden and another negative encounter with the information like their counterparts.