By COLlive reporter
The Kinus HaMechanchim, a project of the Merkos Chinuch Office, issued a call to teachers for papers as in done at major conferences were professional participants are asked to send in abstracts of ideas that they feel should be discussed.
One of the themes included in this year’s Chinuch Conference is; The challenge of instilling a deep-rooted Yiras Shamayim. The ultimate objective of the chinuch process is to students develop a personal relationship with the almighty. This is one of the major issues facing mosdos chinuch today. This is in spite of the fact that our schools today feature more organized curricula and finer instruction never-the-less they may not be as successful in inculcating the very essence of what chinuch must be.
Mashpiim and Rabbinic figures will be discussing such issues throughout the conference this year but for there to be a genuine and authentic change, we need to hear from menchanchim themselves. Many of you are grappling with similar difficulties and overreaching issues, some of you more successfully than others. We ask of you to share your methods. What’s working for you? Can it work for other menchanchim?
The issue of Yiras Shemayim as we know is not a matter of simply learning Shulchan Aruch, it requires a constant awareness of children’s spiritual and emotional needs. Menchanchim are held in high esteem by their students and are expected to exemplify proper Yiras Shemayim and midos tovos but children today need much more; they must inspire. The Kinus will concentrate on the “how” of it.
The Kinus this year will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Danbury, CT. on 26th and 27th of Tamuz, the 9th and 10th of July. The venue, an hour drive from Crown Heights, allows for Menchanchim to be totally enveloped in a chinuch atmosphere among mentors and colleagues so that, at its conclusion, they will be able to formulate concepts and processes to use in their classrooms.
For the very first time, a board has been established for this year’s conference. It includes Rabbi Yosef Chaiton, Portland, Oregon; Rabbi Menachem M. Greenbaum, Los Angeles; Rabbi Zalman Twersky, Chicago; Rabbi Mendy Levin, Philadelphia; Rabbi Moshe Rodman, Las Vegas; Rabbi Yaakov Scheinberger, Coral Springs; Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig, Brooklyn; Rabbi Baruch Kaplan, Connecticut.
Chairing this year’s conference is Rabbi Avrohom Wolowik of Baltimore. The Chinuch Office thanked all the principals and menhalim in the Vaad HaKinus for all their hard work and planning over the past weeks.
From what I have learnt, is that the Rebbe wanted a curriculum that was a) only kodesh and b) taught in the language that children understand best. I have yet to find a single Lubavitch school, girls or boys, that are following the Rebbe’s clear directions.
Generally, the standards and values kept at home are the ones that will be imparted into our children, more than any lectures or workbooks that children will be exposed to. Look around and see for yourself Speak respectfully about your Rov and your child’s teachers, about your neighbors and even about those whom you disagree with. Be sure to have Shiurei Torah and practice Mitzvos with a Gesmack. There is only a limited amount of influence an outsider, like your child’s teacher at school, can actually have, compared to the impact of the environment the child lives with in an… Read more »
You are on the right track!!!!
Hopefully these wonderful people who choose to educate our children will start to adapt a curriculum that focuses first & foremost on being a mench. Teach by example! Bullying begins at the top in most schools (administration) & has trickled down to the point of being intolerable
Derech Eretz Kadmah Le’Torah!
It’s nice that everybody comes up with their brilliant ideas etc etc. however, my experience has shown me that you shouldn’t make your opinions before you’ve actually taught a class. It’s easy to talk about how teachers should teach… over tea, it’s another story to actually implement.
Teachers should listen to ideas of the parents and submit those ideas. Parents after all may know a few things about children…
The post says that the event organizer asked the teachers, the conference’s participants, to offer their challenges, ideas, etc. not for the readers of this blog to post what they think is necessary. At least commenter #1 understood this post enough to ask “where to send”…
Maybe the commenters indicate that they were insufficiently schooled in reading comprehension… which might indicate something to any teachers reading here
ROLE PLAY DONE PROFESSIONALLY WOULD HAVE FAR REACHING, LONG TERM RESULTS. STUDENTS CAN SEE HOW TO DO THINGS IN THE RIGHT WAY. FOR EG: IF ADDRESSING ANGER THERE CAN BE ROLE PLAY ON HOW KIDS REACT SPONTANEOUSLY (THE WRONG WAY) AND THEN BE GIVEN TOOLS HOW TO CORRECT THAT BEHAVIOR, AND ROLE PLAYING THAT.
The only way to teach children to have yiras shomayim is
by being a dugma If your talmidim see their melamdim with long hair,modern clothing listening to non chassidishe music,davening and talking etc. what results can you expect from their talmidim. Same goes for parents. Be a role model then you can expect positive results.
We would have better and more competent teachers in the classrooms if the pay was better
Better pay = better teachers
Thank you for all you do for our kids, paying tuition as a parent is very hard for me, but the Nachas i get is amazing.
if there can be talk about bullying that would be great, both of sons have had such a hard time with this.
Thank you
Mrs Levin
If you can improve parent teacher communication in our schools! I find it so so so hard right now. My son would be in a much better place if I had a good communication.
Please if this can be worked on
Personally what I would like to see is teachers educated in special needs and behavioral health. There has to be a way to take out the liberal ideas in psychology but help teachers implement practices that don’t turn children away.
I remeber this from 6th grade. The “jobs” were things like being in charge of collecting homework, passing out class work (Each subject was a different person or persons), emptying pencil sharpeners, … this was in a class of about 30!
Shaming someone’s spelling in a public forum isn’t nice. Maybe learn some more Igros Kodesh and take a lesson from the Rebbe’s deep humility and Ahavas Yisroel. These qualities are paramount for a true Lubavitcher Chossid.
BS”D a spelling class would help number 3. I believe a weekly class in 1) reading the Igros Kodesh, 2) students telling stories they heard (family stories for ex) re the Igros Kodesh and 3) students themselves writing the Igros Kodesh during this class. And by the way there should be no prohibition to telling Ohel stories during this same class. In my opinion this should be considered by every boys and girls school and camp
I think fetch eretz,needs to be properly instilled. I,think in the boys schools to become less wild and proper discipline. Instilling more incentives for fave ing and tlc for boys coming from difficult homes.the boys should learn not to be chutzpedic.
Lacking in ALL local Chabad schools.
We have so many stories from our own rebbeim, it needs to be compiled into a curriculum