A few years ago the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education published a thoughtful piece on “Avoiding Excellent Sheep in Jewish Day Schools.” It focused on the lack of fostering independence and the omission of out-of-the-box thinking that is often found in our schools. Thankfully, much of that has changed with the cadres of young educators who themselves epitomize a new wave in Jewish education. However, some of the issues raised can use a second look.
The great heroes and heroines of Tanach were all shepherds. This is no accident since shepherds lead and care for others. It was good preparation for their ultimate role as leaders. In Rabbinic literature, God saw how Moses took care of a lost sheep and this validated His choice of Moses to shepherd the Jewish people out of Egypt and lead them to nationhood. Being a shepherd might be a good analogy for a teacher.
The analogy, however, only goes so far. Not all students are sheep. The main characteristic of sheep is to follow. They do not exhibit individuality, imagination, originality, or self-sufficiency. Do we want our students to be sheep?
Some scholars believe that most students go through high school without any rigorous examination of who they are, what their goals are, and what aspirations they may have. Other than perhaps a vague notion of a career, students do not engage in any existential thought process nor are they guided to do so.
How, then, do we assist our students to think critically about their goals and aspirations? At the same time, we should be focusing on how best to promote their religious growth beyond text study.
The research has concluded that we need teachers who are passionate, knowledgeable, able to convey subject material, and able to serve as role models. This seems very logical, but we’ve all had teachers who did not measure up to this standard.
Regardless of the subject matter—art, physics, English, Navi or Gemara, teachers must be experts in their field and embody this knowledge in their own lives. The English teacher who gives poetry readings or acts in amateur Shakespeare productions. The rebbe who spends time in a kollel, The gym teacher who plays on the JCC team or tries out for the Maccabiah Games. These are the teachers who measure up and inspire their students’ creativity.
If students master the material they are taught rather than t just learn it, if they make this knowledge part of who they are, then we have created intellectual curiosity and a higher level of critical thinking skills.. Master teachers who convey knowledge through hands-on activities, independent projects and portfolios can successfully share their own passion for their subjects.
Success is gauged by students who engage with their teachers outside of the classroom to discuss their projects or research. Some of our schools are utilizing this approach. More need to do so. When learning comes alive, so do the students. When teachers consistently achieve that “Aha!” moment, they have succeeded.
Textbooks, even with pictures, are by and large dull reading. I remember visiting a school when a class was learning about Avraham and Sarah. The teacher had come early to decorate the room like a Bedouin tent, and she greeted the children in costume as Avraham. My ninth grade science teacher added rennet to a beaker of milk and shortly thereafter “poured” out the milk, only it came out in a solid block. These lessons are not soon forgotten and they foster interest in the subject material.
Teachers who don’t treat their students like sheep get more out of them. Content and pedagogy are mandatory, but so should creativity be. Teachers work hard and it is doubly difficult to always be ”on.” Yet this is the challenge to stimulate intellectual curiosity and a higher level of engagement.
Education opens minds to what is possible. Learning new things, ideas, and concepts is a magical, mystical experience if it is done right. Our children need to be offered the opportunity to develop their interests. They should not robotically, like sheep, fill out worksheets by rote. They have the capacity to experience new and wonderful learning experiences.
When Moses followed that lost lamb he encountered the Burning Bush. The flame that seared his soul made him Moshe Rabbenu. We need to kindle that flame in our students as well.
Rabbi Dr. Wallace Greene has had a distinguished career as a teacher, principal, and day school consultant.
