I've always been charmed by Thomas Jefferson's instructions to Meriwether Lewis in preparation for the Lewis & Clark expedition.
It is such a clear bit of writing, meant to cover every contingency of a totally unknown situation.
You can read the letter here: Jefferson's Instructions to Meriwether Lewis.
I've since read that others have found this letter equally intriguing and it is often held up as an example of good management.
Elokai Neshama
This flew in today on a mailing list for teachers.
The mailer asked me not to share her name, since it's not her original thought. She said she thinks she heard the idea from Chevi Garfinkel.
I once heard someone say so beautifully that the Bracha of “Elokai neshama she’nasata bi...” can also be interpreted not only as our own individual neshama given to us by Hashem but also as the neshama meaning each students neshama that Hashem has placed in our hands for the year is tehora and Hashem formed that student exactly how they should be and Hashem specifically chose me to be the Morah of this student and eventually the student won’t be under my care yet kol zman that the student is with me Modeh ani...etc. it was a beautiful thought and perspective of the zechus, privilege and responsibility it is to be a Morah.
(Here is the text to which this refers, with a translation: Elokai Neshama)
The mailer asked me not to share her name, since it's not her original thought. She said she thinks she heard the idea from Chevi Garfinkel.
I once heard someone say so beautifully that the Bracha of “Elokai neshama she’nasata bi...” can also be interpreted not only as our own individual neshama given to us by Hashem but also as the neshama meaning each students neshama that Hashem has placed in our hands for the year is tehora and Hashem formed that student exactly how they should be and Hashem specifically chose me to be the Morah of this student and eventually the student won’t be under my care yet kol zman that the student is with me Modeh ani...etc. it was a beautiful thought and perspective of the zechus, privilege and responsibility it is to be a Morah.
(Here is the text to which this refers, with a translation: Elokai Neshama)
Hey, look! Andrea has ANOTHER blog!
I couldn't find Andrea Hernandez's current education blog so I searched for it, and found a different one instead.
This one hasn't been updated as recently, but I really like it.
She even analyzes the publicity about Finland.
All kinds of good plums here:
EdTech Workshop
This one hasn't been updated as recently, but I really like it.
She even analyzes the publicity about Finland.
All kinds of good plums here:
EdTech Workshop
A big-picture view of modern hareidi communities
R' Ahron Lopiansky on the growing pains of the American Jewish community at large, and the idea of kehilla:
Are We a Klal?
Are We a Klal?
Many of the writers in this forum (and possibly readers) grew up in the post-war years in America. The Charedi community was miniscule and insignificant, its continuity uncertain. The stature and vision of a handful of great men, the tenacious and heroic efforts of a few capable askanim, and an extraordinary amount of siyata d’shmaya produced in half a century an incredible tzibbur. It would seem to us that we are in for a whopping kal v’chomer: if we could do it when the cards were stacked against us, certainly we can do it today when we have such incredible resources and such a wonderful track record.
But the reasoning is as flawed as that of the fellow who tried to turn his mom and pop outfit into a national corporation....
Thanks, Tiff
This random memory of good teaching just surfaced.
Once when I was in about 4th grade, we were playing baseball, and I became completely overwhelmed because people were stealing bases and I didn't have a clue what was going on. I think I was fielding second base.
The P.E. teacher, Tiffany (but the cool kids called her Tiff), noticed that I was upset, halted the game, came over, asked what was wrong, and explained what it means to steal a base.
"Do you understand?" she asked.
"No," I said.
She repeated her explanation.
"Do you understand?" she asked.
"No," I said.
She repeated her explanation.
"Do you understand?" she asked.
And this time, I did.
Triumph! Relief! Joy! The game went on and now I understood it.
...
...
I once got roundly scolded by an administrator for repeating an explanation to a student. "If she didn't understand, you should explain it a different way," she said.
Which is true; so I try to do that now.
But sometimes all you need is someone who will halt a game for you and say the same thing three times.
I don't know where Tiff is now but I still appreciate that she did that.
Thanks, Tiff.
Thanks, Tiff.
Japonisme
Leaving aside the political and moralistic thrusts of this article, I was intrigued to see someone else voice the idea that American popular culture is becoming increasingly Japanese.
This trend, if it exists, does not explain what the Torah answers will be to the next generation's questions --- but it does provide some interesting food for thought about what those questions might be.
This trend, if it exists, does not explain what the Torah answers will be to the next generation's questions --- but it does provide some interesting food for thought about what those questions might be.
Artist: Dena Ackerman
I keep wanting to link to artists whose work I like, even though their relevance to the rest of the blog is debatable.
Maybe that's because blogs are supposed to be spattered all over with pictures.
Let's call it a feature.
Today's artist is Dena Ackerman. You can find more of her work here and on Facebook.
I like how much she experiments with style and medium. The fact that she still ranges so widely despite being an established talent makes me feel better about still being in an experimental phase with... things.
I also like her work.
Maybe that's because blogs are supposed to be spattered all over with pictures.
Let's call it a feature.
Today's artist is Dena Ackerman. You can find more of her work here and on Facebook.
I like how much she experiments with style and medium. The fact that she still ranges so widely despite being an established talent makes me feel better about still being in an experimental phase with... things.
I also like her work.
 |
| This is an Edward Gorey-style illustration she did for one of Rebbe Nachman's stories. |
A Montessorian on Motivation
"But do you think it can really be done, to have students studying different material simultaneously in one classroom?" the principal asked.
"Absolutely!" I said, and started ticking off - Montessori, and Sudbury, and the local middle school math class, and the entire history (and present) of the one-room schoolhouse in America, and -
"But," she said, cutting into my description of Montessori, "what if you have a student who just doesn't want to learn?"
I have some memories of what I've observed Montessori teachers doing for specific kids, but - does Montessori have a general prescription for this? I was curious.
So, I wrote to one of my Montessori teachers to ask her.
Here's her answer.
Her phone inserted its own line breaks; I've left them in because I like the found-poetry aspect of it.
You asked about discipline at the High School level — this probably will sound elitist but
It all begins with 2 1/2 year olds and builds on what is learned at that level through
Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and into Jr High.
As you might remember one important aspect at any level of Montessori is learning to make good choices.
At all levels, students make mistakes and
***learn from these mistakes — are encouraged to work through them, talk them out and decide to try again.
Another important aspect is adult guidance to steer EACH INDIVIDUAL toward exactly what s/he needs (academically, socially,
and as an individual).
Montessorians try to instill a love of learning
In each student while guiding each student toward learning the basic skills needed in life.
Learning how to learn is VIP. As well as discovering what turns each person on
— what is their passion? But also realizing
that those disciplines that are not so interesting/more difficult, must be tackled as well.
At all levels our Montessori students are encouraged to pursue their interests;
work hard to overcome their weaker areas;
learn how to work with others in a variety of activities; and really care about the world around them.
My inner mantra was always:
Everything is connected.
We are connected to everything.
Anyway, I found this info from Cleveland
about their High School program and thought it might be of interest.
https://www.
"Absolutely!" I said, and started ticking off - Montessori, and Sudbury, and the local middle school math class, and the entire history (and present) of the one-room schoolhouse in America, and -
"But," she said, cutting into my description of Montessori, "what if you have a student who just doesn't want to learn?"
I have some memories of what I've observed Montessori teachers doing for specific kids, but - does Montessori have a general prescription for this? I was curious.
So, I wrote to one of my Montessori teachers to ask her.
Here's her answer.
Her phone inserted its own line breaks; I've left them in because I like the found-poetry aspect of it.
You asked about discipline at the High School level — this probably will sound elitist but
It all begins with 2 1/2 year olds and builds on what is learned at that level through
Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and into Jr High.
As you might remember one important aspect at any level of Montessori is learning to make good choices.
At all levels, students make mistakes and
***learn from these mistakes — are encouraged to work through them, talk them out and decide to try again.
Another important aspect is adult guidance to steer EACH INDIVIDUAL toward exactly what s/he needs (academically, socially,
and as an individual).
Montessorians try to instill a love of learning
In each student while guiding each student toward learning the basic skills needed in life.
Learning how to learn is VIP. As well as discovering what turns each person on
— what is their passion? But also realizing
that those disciplines that are not so interesting/more difficult, must be tackled as well.
At all levels our Montessori students are encouraged to pursue their interests;
work hard to overcome their weaker areas;
learn how to work with others in a variety of activities; and really care about the world around them.
My inner mantra was always:
Everything is connected.
We are connected to everything.
Anyway, I found this info from Cleveland
about their High School program and thought it might be of interest.
https://www.
Charlotte Mason on Report Cards
This (Victorian-era) approach to grades makes a lot of sense to me:
"The good marks should be given for conduct rather than for cleverness -- that is, they should be within everybody's reach: for punctuality, order, attention, diligence, obedience, gentleness."
"The good marks should be given for conduct rather than for cleverness -- that is, they should be within everybody's reach: for punctuality, order, attention, diligence, obedience, gentleness."
Telz
Rabbi Y. G. Bechhofer's article on the Telz yeshiva is here:
Telshe: 120 Years Since the Founding of the Yeshiva
"Rabbi Bar Shaul writes that in Telshe there were no mussar shmuessen, rather shiurei da'as. A shmuess is emotional, inspirational, and often informal. It is an experience of the heart. A shiur da'as is intellectual, educational, and covers a topic in a formal and systematic manner. It, too, reaches the heart, but via the mind."
Telshe: 120 Years Since the Founding of the Yeshiva
"Rabbi Bar Shaul writes that in Telshe there were no mussar shmuessen, rather shiurei da'as. A shmuess is emotional, inspirational, and often informal. It is an experience of the heart. A shiur da'as is intellectual, educational, and covers a topic in a formal and systematic manner. It, too, reaches the heart, but via the mind."
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