“Dealing with the teacher shortage by enhancing Teacher Standing”
In this helpful article, Rochel Sylvetsky summarizes the problems, tips and solutions voiced by experts at Herzog Global’s one day seminar, for both parents and teachers to ponder.
Israel National News
Summary of the article and the event:
Herzog College’s international branch (Herzog Global) and UnitEd held a seminar on teacher standing to address the acute teacher shortage affecting both the US and Israel. The issue being discussed was that teacher status is eroding globally due to society judging success by income, misconceptions about educators’ roles, and difficulty retaining good teachers who often receive the worst classes when starting out.
Teacher as “First Responder”
Dr. Deena Rabinovitch from Yeshiva University emphasized teachers’ role in recognizing student issues (physical, emotional, social) and connecting them to appropriate help, while ensuring students’ safety in all aspects. Click here to watch her helpful video with many practical tips for new and veteran teachers.
New Authority Model:
Dr. Tzachi Lev Ran from Herzog College presented a non-violent resistance approach to teacher authority, replacing old methods of distance and force with meaningful presence, adult safety nets, and consistent rule enforcement. Click here to watch his practical workshop.
Biblical Perspective:
Rabbi Dr. Ari Silbermann connected education to Torah values, noting that while formal education isn’t explicitly in Tanach, there are clear commands to teach children tradition and history. Click here to watch the video of the lecture.
Community Standing Issues:
The panel discussion revealed that parents often discourage their children from entering education (chinuch), which affects how students view their teachers, though Hebrew school teachers are sometimes held in high esteem as idealists. Click here to watch the video of the panel
Judaic Studies Teachers:
Rabbi Yosef Blau from RIETS, Yeshiva University, shared his 80 years of experience in Jewish education. Among other insightful comments, he explained how the challenges facing religious studies teachers have changed, and why the perceived authority and reverence traditionally accorded to religious educators has declined over the decades. Click here to watch the video of this insightful interview with Rabbi Blau.
Teachers and school principals from around the world who attended the event found it valuable for providing tools to create welcoming classroom environments and enhance their educational approach.
