“I want my son to love Torah”, Mrs. Green told the veteran principal, urging her son to sit still during his interview. “I think it would be more appropriate to hope that the Torah will love your son”, retorted the principal. Mrs. Green almost turned blue. Until now, she had thought and even preached to…
When Yanki was asked by his Rebbe to say a brocha before eating an apple, Yanki obliged, but his brocha was barely audible. The Rebbe called Yanki over and urged him to say the brocha next time with more enthusiasm. One of the older boys, who had overheard the conversation, responded by saying that even…
Our parsha begins with "אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה…" ("these are the words which Moshe spoke…") which includes in it the fundamentals of giving reproof. An analysis of this posuk and its extensions will give us some guidelines on how to give effective reproof to our children and students. "אלה הדברים" – ("these words") This…
Children criticize, complain, ridicule, get angry, are intolerant and embarrass. However, these modes of expression do not necessarily reflect their true feelings and desires. Their state of immaturity prevents them from speaking and acting in accordance with their inner selves. Children’s yetzer hora urges them to search for faults in others, especially in their teachers….
The first thing a Rebbe/teacher needs to know before he enters the classroom is that he is not "simply" a teacher of a group of students but a leader of that group, or, as our title suggests, the captain of a ship, or in this case, a class. The ba’alei mussar explain that in order…
Warning signs are Hashem’s way of telling us to beware or to be alert. There are many different types of warning signs, some given on a national level and some on a personal level. As our column focuses on education, we will, be"H, concentrate on those signs seen in the speech, look or actions of…
“כתית למאור” – [cut for light] Only the first drops of oil from the cut olive were valid for use in the Menorah. From this halachah we can gain a number of insights into the preferred methods of teaching (as the Menorah represents the teaching of Torah): One should teach one idea at a time….
Every class is made up of a myriad of individuals whose behavior fluctuates incessantly between individual expression and submissivness to group standards . No positive individual expression should be neglected, but in order for a class and its students to maximize their success, they need to maximize the behavior which creates an aura of achdus…
In continuation of last week’s article, we will discuss pesukim dealing with the lighting of the Menorah. As a reminder, the lighting of the Menorah alludes to Torah, for the Torah is compared to oil. Just as oil lights up its physical surroundings, so too, Torah enlightens a person—student—with spiritual awareness. (Devorim Rabba 7:3. See…
“This time you brought me a package deal”, the morning Rebbe told the Rosh Yeshiva in an air marked with cynicism and haughtiness, as he summarized the “virtues” of the new student who had arrived only few days earlier to the Yeshiva. The Rosh Yeshiva held himself back, realizing that a quick, defensive reaction would…