"Chair Time"

Friends who are vacationing in Florida sent me a postcard. They wrote that they were having "lots of chair time just looking at the sea."

"Chair Time" - I like that phrase. "Chair Time" suggests a relaxed contemplation of natural surroundings, a chance for unhurried observation, quiet thought, and measured response.
Chair Time is not a time to escape from reality, but a time to appreciate it.

I believe that Chair Time can be applied metaphorically to Jewish Education. Students need a chance to sit back and process the information presented in Religious School and Hebrew School, whether it concerns Hebrew language, the weekly Torah Portion, Holiday studies, Jewish History, or any other Judaic Studies topic.
The concept of Chair Time is a valuable addition to our repertoire of teaching strategies. This idea with its pleasing image of a sunlit beach chair at the ocean's edge, reminds us to give students ample opportunity to understand, integrate, and apply what they're learning; ample time to think about a question before volunteering an answer.
In a classroom setting, Chair Time means creating a warm, comfortable, cheerful atmosphere for gaining knowledge, developing skills, and progressing along the path of life long Jewish learning.

Even though our teaching time with our students is limited to a few activity filled hours a week, let's plan for some Chair Time so that students can truly appreciate what they are studying and why.

In Pirkei Avot (The Ethics of the Fathers), Ben Zoma teaches: "Who is wise? One who learns from every person." (4:1)
I thank my insightful friends (who are also family members) for giving me "Chair Time" to share.

Torah Theatre - Vayeshev - Joseph and His Brothers

The final Portions in the Book of B'reishit tell the dramatic story of Joseph. The range of emotions expressed and the intensity of the action make these Portions ideally suited to classroom theatre. The following activity is designed to help students understand the feelings of Joseph's brothers in the Portion, Vayeshev. (Students may work in small groups.)

Make a pipe cleaner figure for each group of students. Dress one figure in striped cloth. This will be Joseph. Dress the other figures in plain cloth or brown paper. These will be some of Joseph's brothers. Put each figure in a paper lunch bag or an envelope. Let each group of students choose a bag or an envelope.

Now for the theatrical part - with you, the teacher, as the director. Give lots of positive attention to the group that has the Joseph figure. Call on them to answer questions about the Portion. Give the Joseph group candy treats and keep mentioning how clever and outstanding they are. Pay scant attention to the groups that have the brother figures. Don't give them treats and or positive reinforcement.
Assign a short worksheet and have the Joseph group check on the brother groups and report back to you regarding the brother groups' work.

Provide the Joseph group with a copy of Chapter 37, Verses 4-11 of Vayeshev. Ask them to read Joseph's dreams out loud in a boastful manner. Praise the readers and require the brother groups to listen attentively.

At this point, end the exercise and ask the brother groups to describe what has been happening. Ask how they feel toward the Joseph group. Ask all of the students to explain how the exercise is related to Vayeshev.

Praise all of the students for participating in Torah Theatre.

The Museum of International Folklore - Part II

In my post for 10/18/10, I described a visit to the Museum of International Folk Art www.internationalfolkart.org and suggested several learning activities inspired by the Girard Collection of Folk Art - a major permanent exhibition. Unlike most museum displays, the Girard Collection has no labels. Alexander Girard, the collector, designed the exhibition. He placed each of the 100,000 folk art pieces in a particular grouping or location within the exhibition space. Girard specifically directed that there be no identifying labels on the pieces.
It was Girard's wish that each visitor to the exhibition connect with the pieces in a personal way and take away an individualized understanding of the total experience. Because there are so many diverse, thought-provoking pieces, it's impossible to take in every detail in one visit - or even in ten visits! Each time one re-visits the Girard Collection, new insights and additional connections are formed.

Unlike the Girard Collection, Jewish education has lots of labels: Torah Study, Jewish History, Holidays, Israel Studies, Siddur Hebrew, Spoken Hebrew, Values and Ethics, Family
Education, Adult Education, Post B'nai Mitzvah Education, Early Childhood Education, Informal Education...and more.These labels represent our efforts, as educators, to engage students of varying ages and backgrounds in all facets of Jewish living and learning.

Still, let's consider taking a cue from the Girard Collection. Let's include in our programs, opportunities for students to relate and integrate the various labelled "pieces" of Jewish knowledge; to form personal connections to the topics we introduce; to discover themes and patterns in Sacred Texts and the cycle of celebrations; to express and act upon their evolving understanding of Judaism.

One more observation - While re-visiting a museum is a choice we occasionally make, re-visiting "The House of Study" and all that that phrase implies, is a Mitzvah which we are given a lifetime to fulfill.