Being an administrator in a Jewish school entails many intricacies and daily decisions, large and small. In the hustle and bustle of day to day life, we sometimes get wrapped up in the minutiae because they are important to the smooth daily running of a school. Days are filled with constantly visiting classrooms, meeting with parents, coaching teachers and guiding students. We run to bar and bat mitzvot, shiva calls and after-school meetings. Nonetheless, the end of the school year is a wonderful opportunity for reflection and to express our gratitude for the blessing of having a share in serving the Jewish people through Jewish education.
Emily Dickinson, in poem 989, interprets gratitude with a layer of nuance that I find psychologically astute and a beneficial lens with which to view our lives. She writes:
“Gratitude—is not the mention
Of a Tenderness,
But its still appreciation
Out of Plumb of Speech.”
Expressing gratitude is not just an expression of love or caring. Rather it entails a deeper honesty, in an appreciation that manifests itself in direct language. The message is to be explicit in our gratitude. This is certainly our Jewish approach, where we proclaim, ‘modim anachnu lach,’ three times a day in ‘shemoneh esrei.’
In that spirit, I feel it is apropos to express my personal gratitude for having the opportunity to be a Jewish educator. First and foremost, I am so grateful to Hashem for this opportunity to have a hand in helping secure the future of the Jewish people. Every day, I beg Hashem for the wisdom, the words and the patience to make the optimal choices for our children.
I am so grateful to be able to smile at holy children and say good morning each day. We know that although the brain continues to develop until age thirty, there is a special window of opportunity from birth to age ten. The sensitivity of the young child makes this a pivotal time of development. Although adults usually do not consciously remember a lot of specifics from this young age, it is actually the time of the profound foundations of life, where love, safety, secure attachment and a deep love of Torah and Jewish practice are embedded in the soul. Because the brain is so impressionable, what children hear, see and feel impacts them greatly and crucial reading and language skills also coalesce at this age. Nonetheless, most people remember their teachers more clearly from middle and high school and have scattered memories of their early years. Any cracks or gaps in these foundations, though, will begin to appear in middle or high school.
I am so grateful to spend my day with children. I have an ‘open door’ where students, whether in kindergarten or eighth grade, know that if they need a listening ear, there is a warm and caring adult available. I am particularly touched by the middle school students who feel comfortable queuing up on a regular basis by my door, patiently waiting for a peer to finish.
I am so grateful to work with an amazing team of dedicated educators. Our administrators, guidance counselors, classroom and support teachers, all pour their hearts and souls into their students, consistently working ‘beyond the call of duty,’ although they think it is normal! Their collaborative efforts, along with their patience and expertise, ensure that our children have a safe, nurturing, stimulating and enriching environment.
Acharon, acharon chaviv, I am forever indebted to my family for their endless support throughout the year. My family accepts my schedule and cheerfully helps out wherever a hand is needed. They carry me each day and provide deep comfort.
As the end of the year approaches, many families and children express their hakarat hatov to the school and to their teachers for toiling with them in their children’s growth. The end of the school year is always a momentous occasion and an opportune time to reflect upon accomplishments and areas of continued progress for the future. I, too, am grateful for my own children’s growth with their marvelous teachers this year and I am eagerly planning for next year!
Chana Luchins is the assistant principal of general studies at Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva. She is a consummate educator with over twenty years of experience in the field of education, working with students from early childhood through grade 12, in both general and judaic studies. She holds a master’s degree in special education from the Graduate School of Education at Touro College. Luchins joined the RPRY family in 2008 and is a proud parent of four RPRY graduates and one current student.
