Creating Community in the Classroom and Beyond

I recently attended a wonderful faculty meeting. That might sound like an oxymoron, but this meeting was really informative, stimulating, - and fun!

As one of the activities, we were given a sheet detailing ways of "Creating Community in Learning Environments." We were asked to discuss how we might apply the concepts presented on the sheet to our classrooms. In other words, what are we doing in our classrooms to make the Religious School environment welcoming, supportive, and personally relevant to students and their families?

In the course of the discussion, the Director of Life Long Learning shared with us that when Religious School families were surveyed regarding their expectations of Religious School, the majority indicated as priorities, that they wanted their children to feel comfortable, to feel safe, and to have the opportunity to make Jewish friends.

What a powerful message! As we teachers plan curricular content which enables our students to acquire Judaic knowledge and to develop Hebrew language skills, we must also be mindful of the context, and emphatically model Jewish values in all our classroom endeavors.

The positive feelings toward Jewish Education that we inspire in our Religious School students will significantly shape their involvement in life long Jewish learning far into the future. As students mature and engage in many areas of interest, they may forget the details of building a Sukkah or the message of Jeremiah or the pronunciation of a kamatz katan. However, there's a good chance they'll remember feeling valued, welcome, and successful in our Religious School classrooms and will continue to grow and learn as active participants in Jewish life at home, in the synagogue, and in the wider Jewish world.