By COLlive reporter
Tens of teachers converged in the central Crown Heights Kolel on Thursday night to hear the senior posek, Rabbi Yosef Heller start off the new year at Kolel Melamdim.
The night kolel is a project of Igud Hamelamdim, a teachers’ support organization, and attracts teachers from local Chabad schools who gather to study and be inspired so they can inspire their students.
Teachers are delighted at the organized setting where they can recharge, and receive a small stipend on the side.
Rabbi Heller, who serves as head of the daytime Kolel Menachem, addressed the assembled on various topics of education.
“It’s not about how much material you cover, but how much you inspire them to learn. If you fire them up with a love for Torah, you’ve in essence taught them the entire Torah,” he said.
In his pointed manner, he highlighted the need for Torah study to be a pleasant experience. “All too often, learning is made miserable as a result of unreasonable standards or intimidating tests,” he said. “Testing can be done in an engaging manner so that a child who participates in class doesn’t feel like a failure.”
Along those lines, Rabbi Heller spoke about homework pressure. “Homework is also an excessive burden; after a full day in school, a child needs plenty of time to unwind and play.”
Finally, he reminded the teachers of the importance of their work.
“The greatest thing one can do is to teach others Torah. We engage all sorts of gimmicks to be mekarev people to study Torah and carry out its mitzvos. A melamed who teaches Torah fulltime is clearly the most successful kind of person!”
I hear you and agree. Abosultely loving yiddishkeit Torah and learning is tops. However, I wouldn’t call that a skill. In terms of skill, memory is the the corner skill upon which all other skills are built. Memory isn’t taught, but rather trained. The training begins with speaking to your newborns and playing memory styled games with your toddler and preschooler. At that point the child is usually motivated by an attitude of can-do and a love of learning to explore and remember more on their own, and tests are supplements, though necessary ones. However, that doesn’t mean that it… Read more »
Among other things you wrote “To everyone here complaining about the memorization required for tests, it’s a crucial skill for life and the maintenance of healthy neurons” Crucial beyond this life skill is LOVING YIDDISHKEIT, LOVING TORAH, LOVING LEARNING. Its time we kept the main thing the main thing. And I have news for you. Pressure motivates some, compelles many, but repells most from LOVING Hasem, Torah & learning. SINCE WHEN IS THE MAIN GOAL OF TEACHING MEMORIZATION SKILLS? If you cover less, remember less BUT YOU DO love Hashem & love learning His Torah, how important as ANYTHING ELSE… Read more »
there is a place for homework in a child’s life. it is a way to revisit and briefly review what was taught/learned in class. it is NOT a way to shift incompleted lessons to the child or to his/her parents and family to teach. a quick h.w. review serves a dual purpose. 1) it solidifies the material in the student’s mind while it the material is still fresh and easily recalled. 2) it clarifies what, if any, part of the lesson the student hasn’t really grasped well and needs to have re-explained to them. often a student thinks they understood… Read more »
Memorization, applied reasoning and critical thinking are skills that need to be built from a very young age. The way memory games and puzzles ‘test’ and thus train these skills for preschoolers, memory and thinking questions test and train these skills for older children and adults. However, it needs to be done within reason of the memorization and thinking skills appropriate for that age group. It’s true that learning and processing come naturally, which is why I agree with with open styled school and class environments as well as plenty of free time, which means less homework, however, memorization, applied… Read more »
The piblic school day ends somewhere around 2:30 pm
Lets compare apples with apples.
I used to do tons of homework when i was in school and I did get all A’s. But I forgot almost everything the next year. So I worked so hard and had no life, no time for friends, for nothing.
Rabbi Yaakov Bender Slams Homework In Op-Ed To Mishpacha Magazine The letter I received from out of town contained a plea for help and guidance from a frum father navigating a particularly onerous challenge in chinuch habanim — and a relatively new one. My son spends close to eight hours in school. When he arrives back at home we want to be able to kick back and relax together. We would also love to be able to spend the time with him and our other children pressure-free, playing a game, having a catch, reading or just stam schmoozing — which,… Read more »
most kids in younger grades don’t fully finish their homework, and if they do, its not always not properly. I think teachers would have it easier if they ,say, practiced kriah more in school then send it home where its barely done.
Also, if the teachers know that the cant send homework, they’ll make sure to make use class time better.
I think that, at most, they should have 10-15 min. a day, if the teacher is in a school that they have to give homework.
And they know how to use the homework system properly and as intended.
If every MECHANECH or Menahel was subjected to the scrunity for competence by the Sefer Chinuch Vhadrocho, they would fail miserably.
You need to be born to teach, not teach to live
All had to fit to one measure and standard. If not you were either cut short or stretched longer. A quote from one of the leading educators in our generation. In as much as teachers are expected to tailor their lessons and subsequent expectations based on a particular child’s ability to learn. Homework need not be different. Expections of homework should not be one size fits all, for it really can’t fit all. As principal of many years, homework often becomes a teachers means of communicating to his parent audience, “look at my class, see how hard, how much we… Read more »
Many decades ago in the public school system I went to homework was not given until 2nd grade so we looked forward to it as something special. Parents weren’t allowed to help with reading , spelling, math tables, or other subjects. What we were learning was made interesting because we discussed it or “showed off’ our learning proudly. If we were having difficulties teachers communicated with our parents in a spirit of teamwork. As we got in higher grades, homework increased but never so much that we didn’t have time to do it and also enjoy dinner with the family,… Read more »
Suppose someone has between 7 and 15 children bla”h, and all of the children who bring home homework, bring “officially only four subjects” each child, “officially only 20 minutes” each subject per each child, Plus “just one ‘project'” each child that is due in 2 weeks. Assuming these conservative estimates reflect the reality, which we all know they do not–in the very real world these estimates are far too conservative–can you please tell me which sain person considers such imposed parental involvement as reasonable? Besides there are some subjects that I don’t know how to help with. The primary one… Read more »
Where do you teach ?
Lucky mosad to have you
are there whatsapp groups for the classes at beis rivka? If so, someone can make a petition and parents can sign it and send to the principal demanding minimum amount of hmwk.
Here is how I did tests for very many years as a teacher. Teach all the answers to the upcoming test. The test is merely a mirror of what we plan to learn. After the test, had children do SELF-CORRECTION. I told them the answers, how to grade, and THEY did it themselves. THEY then wrote their grade. Publicity is not necessary. They gave me their test for my review, and I then returned it to them. Result: – What was important to know was known at the outset, by all. – Multiple review of what had to be learned… Read more »
Many parents and former students (and definitely current ones) are furious with your abusive homework policy that allows teacher to harass students with as much as homework they wish.
If you’re responsible, you’d change it now. Not because of what parents and students want, but because it’s the right thing for many reasons.
Since they teach well at school all the students need is a short review at home.
Longer homework indicates a problem with the teacher’s teaching and/or personality.
We’re not making all teachers punching bags.
Just those who (figuratively) punch their students.
There are many good teachers that this doesn’t pertain to.
Longer than that is a teacher’s dereliction of duty to teach adequately at school.
Any objections?
And they don’t abuse homework or the students.
#45
If you believe that you are in the wrong profession or a total idiot.
I pity the kids in your school.
You sit for 5 hours a night terrified about failing a test the next day. We need to instill a pleasant enjoyable learning experience not an oppressive miserable one so the kids grow to love learning torah naturally.
Please post ful speech
you have to read something on your own time and write a paper about it. Should be allowed several days or even weeks depending on the project. But tons of homework that’s due every single day whether or not it makes sense for the student will only overwhelm her and she’ll end up forgetting everything anyway after the year is over.
is not fair. There are some families where there is parental guidance and help and in some families less or none. Why should the children with less help lose out. A good memory doesn’t necessarily mean you have other types of intelligence. Why should children suffer bec. they have a weak memory. Tests are often all about memory.
You have to take that into consideration. The more they use the web the more they loose their fire for any learning. No matter how good the teacher! Less homework-yes. But also More playing ball with your family in the back yard!!!
I agree that excessive homework is not appropriate.
However, homework invites a parent to be part of their child’s chinuch. A parent can also bring a new perspective to what a child is learning.
My child’s chinuch is my responsibility and I appreciate the opportunity that homework gives me to help create a positive attitude to learning.
You expressed exactly how me and my friends and our kids feel.
You hit it right on target
Thank you
But teacher who abuse and harass students with homework are.
But rather school policy (that too many teachers sadly follow).
The girls high schools (BRHS especially) don’t care if kids help out at home.
As long as they do 10 hours of homework each day.
You have a good point but unfortunately too many teachers don’t get it (ego is tough to overcome you know), effectively making themselves a punching bag.
Why are you a principal? Perhaps you might want to take a step back and do your own 5 hours of homework nightly, studying experts in the field. Times have changed. We adapt. We adapt to technology, vehicles, any number of evolving things. Education evolves as well. Could you at least consider an open conversation about it?
Effective teachers and principal’s know that toouch homework takes a toll on students. That much homework is most often such a burden that a student doesn’t benefit much, if at all. Do we not want our children to love learning? And Bais Rivkah, it sounds like your thinking about homework could use some serious review. My child will not be attending your school, because I want my child to feel not burdened, but rather enthused about learning.
I will never send my child to your school. I an figure out what my child will do after school hours. There are many, many activities available. And they will be good Jess who love Torah and have a well balanced happier experience.
They’re STUDENTS meant to be TAUGHT in school, not SLAVES doing mind/back breaking labor for egotistical teachers/overlords.
!
They could definitely learn a thing or two from him.
There’s homework the way it’s supposed to be, and there’s homework as it’s abused by teachers.
Get the difference?
I was reading these comments and crying. I’m a good student, with mostly good grades. I but way much hmwk and tests. Girls study for hours the night before, and then still on skl try to finish was wasn’t yet done during their breaks. It’s riddiculous, and sad. Girls do drop out from the stress. It’s a fact. We have lives too, we can’t spend so much of our time on hmwk. Everyone agrees that your teenage years are the hardest. Why make it harder???? We just want to LIVE!!
I just entered high school, and I had to stay home from lack of sleep. when I came back, lo and behold! I had to stay up till 3 catching up! please lower the mount of homework! last time I had a normal conversation with my family was sukkos!
I once got A+ on a Gemorrah test when I had to study with my son when my husband was out of town. I’m very proud of that (my son was happy, too.)
Homework should be review – brief, 10 mins max. Or perhaps looking over tomorrow’s lesson in advance. As for testing… I detest it. Tests only prove how well kids can memorize ; they don’t show if the students can apply the concept in other cases. I gave as few as possible to my students, but boy, did they work hard IN class!
It’s beautiful to see Rabbi Heller following the example set by Menachem Education Foundation and speaking about such important issues concerning our children’s chinuch. Beautiful job!
Yes, responsible and reasonable homework that’s used as a modest supplement to the school studies.
Not when they have to sit for hours every night learning what should have been taught to them at school. Kids need a life and time to unwind to avoid burn out.
Guess it’s easier for a “teacher” to make the student learn everything at home instead of teaching it at school which you’d think is their job. I guess not.
There’s an article about how HW teaches kids responsibility and those who do it are more successful in life and more self-disciplined. Just saying there’s another side here too…
“It’s not about how much material you cover, but how much you inspire them to learn. If you fire them up with a love for Torah, you’ve in essence taught them the entire Torah,”
How true how true how true!!!
What are you guys talking about. I was talking about when I was a kid and those who grew up then know how to learn on their own. There was not homework and no fancy methods. Today’s generation most cant learn on their own.
why did this thread become a teacher punching bag?
this surely wasn’t Rabbi Heller’s intention. Plenty of students visit this website, how in the world are they supposed to respect their teachers if everywhere they turn they see their teachers being bashed?
Remember you can have complaints against the teachers, but to make it a public discussion only harms OUR children’s education.
I think the Rabbi’s main point is not so clear here.
I was at the talk he said the main think for all of chinuch is to give the kids and boachrim a cahyus to want to learn they should have a love for torah and miztvos all the rest was just to exsplain and clarify the love for learning torah.
Therefore anything that takes away from that be it homework, tests, missions, finishing a perek, parsha or sefer if it takes away from the above is not helping…
שו”ע יו”ד סי’ רמ”ה סעי’ י”א: יושב ומלמדם כל היום וקצת מהלילה כדי לחנכם ללמוד ביום ובלילה.
If the child is home before evening, then the father seems have the mitzvah to teach his son a bit in the evening.
Yes! That’s so true! I’m a high school student and I am really suffering from all this homework!! After a long exhausting day in school with 10 periods and multiple teachers, I finally get home at six pm. I eat a quick supper and it homework time, till anout 12 am. The next day I’m tired, frustrated and pressured, because I still didn’t manage to finish it all so I wake up at 5 am to finish. The schedule is really killing me. It’s a reall issue! My life is overtaken by homework, I have NO time to myself to… Read more »
If the children need the review from home to succeed in your class, you should strongly consider fitting in that extra review into your class schedule during your classtime so that even the student that don’t know how or do not do their review at home can also do well in your class.
Learning needs to be a lifestyle and not a forced upon burden.
Doing it the way you describe will guarantee that when the child finishes the system, they will use their newfound freedom to turn to all these outlets you describe.
“Homework” is abused by Bais Rivkah and other schools where “teachers” pile load upon loads of work on the students to snuff out any life left in them.
BSD One of the major foundations of our Chassidic movement, Lubavitch, founded by Rebbe Yisroel Bal Shem Tov is SIMCHA !!!! I am greatly inspired by Rav Heller’s comments about teaching enthusiasm to the young people. It is much more important to teach a young Lubavitcher Chossid to be b’Simcha (to be happy with his Yiddishkeit) and to be very enthused about it than to focus so so much on the technical skills of learning. However, on the other hand, all of Rabbosenu Nasieinu (Our Rebbes, Our Leaders) have always taught us to not be amei ho’aretz, ignorant of the… Read more »
It ain’t gonna change
Keep dreaming
Whether you agree with homework or not, there needs to at least be a limit. The amount of homework high school girls get now is absurd!! The principals claim it’s to keep the girls occuppied so they shouldn’t have time for other things. But 5 hrs a night is way over board. The girls who are doing the “other” things will do it anyways. And the other girls who are majority are being bogged down with unnecessary homework, assignments, projects, tests and daily quizzes to study for…HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS DON’T EVEN HAVE TIME ANYMORE TO HELP OUT AT HOME BECAUSE… Read more »
Bais Rivkah, just make sure you drive your students even more crazy by increasing their insane homework load from five hours a day to ten. That will definitely make them love learning more.
Their 39 teachers (and the Tuldos) each give three hours of homework each day.
Add that up.
In my child’s school even if you get a 100% on a test but you didn’t get it signed by your parent you are penalized! Now, how crazy is that?
14 teachers are “only” giving 10 minute of homework ….plussssss… gemer and tests…and all the ridiculous out of school learning…
Well do the math.
Gemer is a waste of time,energy, patience, and EVERYTHING!!!!!!
Pls put an end to it NOW!!!!
Your school should be closed down! Don’t you know about large families! Kids gain much more from cutting a salad and interacting with family members! I hated school because all of it was about homework and tests! We couldn’t enjoy any learning. When I see my teachers today all I feel is hate- there was an atmosphere of trying to get you! I was a good student, got good grades and hated every minute! Now I go to a shiur, learn and enjoy! Thank you Rabbi Heller for seeing things clearly once again!
Heartfelt pleas from moms and dads how YOUR homework policy is ruining lives
Have a heart
leave your job!!! you belong in a different occupation. i have a school focused home and we learn Torah as well but i would like my kids to have time to be kids as well. The homework pressure is destroying jewish homes and marriages.
From the second we get home from an already long day the only time my kids have at home is doing homework, dinner and bath. There is absolutely no free time, this is a very stressful time. When my kids were younger, after school time was spent going to the park or surprising them by taking them out for ice cream. Some parents love homework, because from what I’ve been told, how are they supposed to entertain their kids for the evening. I hate that mentality. I agree to homework for some extent, like working on fun on going projects… Read more »
Dear Principal
Then maybe part of the curriculum should be focused on teaching kids how to fill their extra time with quality choices such as using their creative talents with learning to play an instrument or art by bringing creative arts into the Yeshiva which is also a major relaxer which will help kids feel better about themselves and help them learn the taught material better so that they will love school and be happy with themselves
of course grades went up, because the curriculum became less demanding. It’s not that the kids started learning better or became smarter. (Well, maybe yes, but the way you are writing it is logically fallacious.)
You will not like what I am about to say but it is the truth, but please hear me out in full. We purposly give homework because it is a burden on the family! With all the distractions that we have nowadays, there are many homes where the parents are not involved in their children’s Chinuch, the families lives are focused around sports and vacations instead of Torah and education. By us jamming you with homework we force the children and parents to have a school focused home, a home where the children are busy with their learning, a home… Read more »
most of the people working in the chinuch system these days don’t belong there
Don’t have the school give HW because of poor parenting skills.
It’s also not the teachers place on dictating and deciding how the family’s bonding time works.
I heard a teacher say ” I give HW so i know the parent will have at least 15 minutes with their son” how insane is that?!?!?!
I agree with #38, the good old days are a myth. Most Jews did not have the opportunity to learn. The great talmidei chachamim you speak of represent so few of our numbers. We also beat kids senseless. Ahh, the good old days…
Forget about coming home to do homework The homework that these teachers give to the kids to do at home that’s completely not normal for instance this past week my daughter had a test and had to study of what you say And where to say certain things in the עמידה The high holidays What the heck is that relevant to 4 weeks after the high holidays It isn’t there more important things to give a kid to study that will be relevant to their daily lives of being a better person and a better Jew?
Hmmmm… why do they hate learning?
100 teachers giving 5 hours of homework each day.
I’ve seen it up close.
I remind you that “in the old days”, not every boy and girl went to school. Most young people went to work. Only the smart one’s went to Yeshivas, today everyone goes.
He spoke about the importance of getting students to love yiddishkeit. I was there…HW was not the main issue and he said it can be a burden and children need to unwind. A far cry from the way this headline makes it sound like it was all about HW.
Finally people are starting to realize. There’s 1 thing more important . And when the people “in charge of CINUCH” will recognize and implement that 1 thing, then our kids will want to continue to behave with yiras shomayim. (and not have the desire to abandon everything) That 1 thing is. The kids need to feel and recognize that theis educators REALLY CARE FOR THEM. And be a role model of yiras shomayim and true AHAVAS YISROEL. this super ingredient is the cement that holds the whole building together. When this ingredient is MISSING, then the whole building will ח”ו… Read more »
About time someone speaks the truth
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ_agxK6fLs
I’ve been a limudei kodesh teacher for 15+ years. I don’t give HW every night, prob 3x a week. That said, it is all about what type of HW is being given. Reviewing Pessukim in Chumash will only help the student the next day, or preparing a Rashi helps a student become more proficient. The Gemara (quoted in Tanya too) says ideal is to review 101 times!! If the HW given is just “busy work” then there is no value to that. But I have seen on a consistent basis that those who do their HW (short assignments that are… Read more »
“grades”? Means they do testing…..
The ONLY time a child should have homework is either if they are having difficulty in a subject and need extra help to keep up with class, or if they were horsing around in class and didn’t do their school work (to make up the work)
It is crazy that some of my kids spend over 3 hours of homework a night!
It’s very known that the Rebbe was very pro tests. Reports and monitoring progress. Etc.
Finland stopped homework for same reasons and saw a major increase in grades
Finally finally a voice of reason Homework has become a PARENT׳S nightmare and little children come home from 8 hours a day of work and the first thing they have to do is more schoolwork! All Montessori type schools believe homework means a teachers failure to cover the subject in school Please educators let’s all review this contentious practice in all schools and all subjects If you MUST give homework place a limit If your child is six years old he gets six minutes LETS STOP STRESSING OUR CHILDREN AND PARENTS UNNECESSARILY It’s hard for a mother of multiple school… Read more »
Anyway to share a recording?
I applaud Rabbi Heller’s position!! Excessive burdens on child and parents!
Rabbi Heller really understands kids! He should become our schools advisers instead of all the modern secular ones that are failing!
I know kids who have actually dropped out of school b/c of the humiliation they faced when teacher reacted to undone homework, day after day. Kids had no one at home who knew French or Hebrew well enough to help, and no $ to hire tutor.
Make the teaching of TORAH an enjoyable experience for kids
GREAT AGAIN.
THE MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENT ON CHINUCH EVER PUBLICISED ON COL
BORUCH HASHEM RABBI HELLER HAS SPOKEN OUT ON THIS. KOL HAKOVOID. THIS SHOULD BE PUBLICISED THE WORLD OVER NOT JUST IN CROWN HEIGHTS. THE MISTAKEN AGENDA OF THOSE WHO PROFESS TO KNOW HOW TO TEACH AND INSPIRE AND WORSE GIVE SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE CLEVERER ONES AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE KIDS WHO STRUGGLE IN THE MISTAKEN BELIEF THEY WILL SUCCEED SO WHY NOT PUT ALL OUR ENERGIES INTO THOSE “SMARTER MORE DILIGENT KIDS. HELLO? HOW WRONG THEY ARE. THOUSANDS OF KIDS WHO “SUCCEEDED” IN THEIR CHADORIM AND MECHINAS MESIFTAS AND EVEN INITIALLY AT YESHIVAS HAVE EITHER DROPPED OUT OF… Read more »
Great point. Perhaps it’s not the student that failed the test.
It’s the teacher that failed to reach the student.
A teacher who can leave a fire in you when young it will last a lifetime
Yasher koach HaRav Heller
For todays times , a forward thinking director of a school, implemented a no homework policy, but instead, parents need to spend 20 min quality time with their child, without phones or interruptions
children bring a note to say what they did with their parents.
In many places in the world where homework is not allowed its been proven children perform better. The brain is stressed with homework and tests and it doesn’t allow the right drugs to the brain, which come in for clear thinking and good performance
Years ago there was no homework in limudei kodesh. The funny thing is that all these new fancy learning methods didn’t exist yet nor did homework and the kids grew up knowing how to learn. But as the years go on new complicated methods are introduced and loads of homework get added and the average boy or bochur can’t learn a bit of Gemoro on his own without Artscroll or the like nor can many learn Chumash with Rashi. Maybe it’s time to wake up from all this nonsense and go back to the old methods which were straight and… Read more »
Well well. Finally a voice of reason. Thank you Rabbi Heller.
100 percent
that is really encouraging as a student.
also no gemer
i Never encouraged my kids to do homework and they never did it until they were old enough to do it themselves and even then i made them stop when i thought they have done enough ,made them to crafts , read , cook and bake go on family trips and walks and didn’t care when the teachers complained , i just stopped going to PTA. they all very balanced , good students , polite and caring individuals , very smart , they passed all their exams well , went to sem and yeshiva , did well and got married… Read more »
We need more like Rabbi Heller. He seems to understand the importance of being sensitive to the complexity of teaching and learning. More is not better, necessarily. Meaningful lessons are more educational than thoughtless rote. Keeping an evaluative eye and ear on a student’s learning is important, and assuming that a lesson presented is a lesson learned is ineffective teaching.
Rabbi heller also strongly opposes having internet in the house, let alone granting children access to the web.
It’s quite obvious that without homework kids will spend more time on computers and the like, this hed probably support homework.
It can be made optional. That’s what Lamplighter’s Yeshiva already does…look into how they do it!
many kids have not mastered these
they learn taitsh in yiddish, and will often know the taitsh but not know what it means in English, so essentially they are not properly understanding what they are learning
Keep rocking Rabbi Raskin and Rabbi Cousin. You do great work!
Homework has non jewish origins for children in public school with minimal hours and irresponsible teachers that leave half the work and all the review to be done at home wothout their supervision. Homework doesn’t belong in a Jewish school with longer hours and teachers that should be careful to teach everything under their aupervision. If there isn’t enough time to squeeze in the curriculum, then plan the curriculum better next time. In our community, the children are left with little time to play and unwind. A teacher has no business unburdening part of the curriculum to the child’s hometime… Read more »
proof is in the pudding, Seeing Teachers come in their own time to sit and learn,shows what the’re up to,KOL HAKAVOD!
i totally agree!
I want to express my gratitude to this kolel,What a great way for Teachers to unite- through learning Torah! It definitely has a positive impact on their students. Thank you to Igud Hamelamdim for all that you do for us Chabad Teachers!