One of the things I have had to learn how to do since I started teaching in the synagogue school is how to improvise. You never know what mood the kids will be in after a long day at public school, or what changes will come up in the outside world, or in our own worlds, and really, there has been a lot of change in the Jewish world over the past six years. Each year, there’s also the reality that a different group of kids will have different interests and different abilities and limitations, and I have to adapt my plans to fit what works best for them.
It has turned out that, this year, the one thing all of my students seem to love is performing; and while some of them like to sing, or dance, or tell jokes, they all like to act. I discovered this mostly by accident one Sunday morning, when one of my most energetic and curious students looked at the day’s quote from Leviticus, and dropped her head onto her desk and asked, “Why are there so many words in this book? What happened to all of the stories?”
And she was absolutely right. Other than an interlude wherein two of Aaron’s priestly sons are killed for, um, inappropriate practices in front of God (which I did not share with my students, for obvious reasons), most of Leviticus is made up of a list of laws: fascinating and complex laws, divisive and bizarre laws, laws that only applied in the past and laws that can still serve us well today. And all of that can definitely lead to interesting discussions and many stories shared from their own lives, but it’s true, there aren’t many good stories in the text itself. So I, literally, tossed my lesson plan aside and asked her and her classmates which stories they remembered learning the year before, when they studied the book of Exodus, or the year before that, from Genesis. It became clear that though they remembered a lot of details, they tended to assign them to the wrong stories and often had no idea of the order of events (was it Moses who put all of the animals in the ark? And then he split the sea and ate an apple, right?). Instead of correcting them, I thought it would be more fun to have them act out the stories, one scene at a time, from the beginning.
By the time the bell rang for the end of class, we were halfway across the sea of reeds (with Moses) and each student had played at least three roles (God, Isaac, and the dove, or Noah and God and Leah, for example). And it was fantastic! And exhausting. We had to drag ourselves through the rest of the activities of the morning. But the following week, they begged to do more of Genesis or Exodus, which was, as you can imagine, unusual. I did my best to add more acting into my lesson plans after that, though I had to argue for the value of singing, dancing, drawing, and writing, as well.
And then, as a gift to the synagogue school from a generous congregant, we had a visit from a Jewish improv group, called The Bible Players (https://www.thebibleplayers.com/). They came for our last school day before Passover and worked with every possible age group. First they worked with the teachers, so we could learn how to lead some of the improvisations ourselves and adapt them for different holidays and lessons (they also gave us a packet full of every activity they’d done with us, and plenty more that we didn’t have time to try), and then they worked directly with the kids – getting them to play different characters, and mirror each other, and laugh and imagine and be brave and play. By the end of their time with The Bible Players, my otherwise sarcastic, eye-rolling students were glossy-eyed with joy and asking when they would be able to do it all again. How about tomorrow? Could we come back to synagogue school tomorrow and do it again?!
And, of course, part of me was sitting back and saying, hey, what about me? Am I not fun? Didn’t I come up with exciting, enlightening, and innovative activities all year long? But a larger part of me was already looking through the packet of activities and planning how to add them into my lesson plans. They had taught us an especially effective clapping game to get the kids to quiet down that I intended to practice right away.
The reality is, my next class of students may not love acting in the same way, and not every activity will work out, nor will I be able to match the level of enthusiasm and buy-in of the Bible Players, but they taught me something I’ve been struggling to embrace on my own: not only are we always improvising, but as teachers, we are at our best when we are improvising. In fact, if we know 100% what we’re going to do next, in class or in life, we are going to be bored, or bore everyone else. Learning needs to be exciting, and engaging, and interactive in order to work.
I wish I could say that I am always ready to try something new, and always eager and open to new challenges, but I am really not. I move towards change reluctantly, and with as much side-eye as any of my students. I was exhausted the day the Bible Players came to teach us, and annoyed, and shy, and wishing I could just go home and take a nap. It wasn’t until I saw how much my students loved what they were doing that I started to open up and embrace the possibilities. Though, of course, when I tried the really effective clapping game, after the Passover break, it did not work at all, and a couple of the girls made sure to tell me that, “that was so two weeks ago.”
To be honest, I am really ready for summer break. I am exhausted in every way. I have a lot of students this year, and they are all challenging and fascinating and full of energy and full of piss and vinegar, and they take pretty much all of my energy in every class. My one week off for Passover did not even begin to remedy the bone-deep fatigue that has set in, and yet, I’m still revising lesson plans to finish out the school year, and I’m still excited to try new things and see how they go over, and I’m still looking for new skills to learn so I can give my next batch of students more of what they need. It’s intoxicating to always be learning, and growing; and being in the classroom is like a whirlwind that I get caught up in every time, whether I mean to or not, and whether my body can sustain the effort or not.
So, I will gratefully take my summer to recover and recharge, and then I will try it all over again next year, with the next class, improvising every step of the way, and hoping to get things right at least as often as I get them wrong.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my novel, Yeshiva Girl, on Amazon. And if you feel called to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.
Yeshiva Girl is about a Jewish teenager on Long Island, named Isabel, though her father calls her Jezebel. Her father has been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with one of his students, which he denies, but Izzy implicitly believes it’s true. As a result of his problems, her father sends her to a co-ed Orthodox yeshiva for tenth grade, out of the blue, and Izzy and her mother can’t figure out how to prevent it. At Yeshiva, though, Izzy finds that religious people are much more complicated than she had expected. Some, like her father, may use religion as a place to hide, but others search for and find comfort, and community, and even enlightenment. The question is, what will Izzy find?
rachelmankowitz 
That’s so two weeks ago….from the mouths of babes! 😂.
I’m sorry for the fatigue that plagues you, but you are doing an incredible staying involved in your world and making a positive contribution. I envy your work ethic and your flexibility! ❤️
Thank you so much!
Each of us has a unique way of absorbing and remembering knowledge. The dramatic method is another effective tool for you to use in class. You will be able to vary and alternate techniques to good effect.
I will definitely keep trying! Thank you!
You’ve left me feeling the energy, the enthusiasm, and the exhaustion, Rachel! I really enjoyed this post.
Thank you so much!
There’s nothing more annoying than watching your students love something that someone else teaches or the way the someone else teaches it (it’s the novelty) and then when you try it, they act bored and unappreciative. Are these middle school students?
This is why I loved working with my younger students.
My fourth graders, especially the girls, think they are much older than they are. Oy.
Oh boy, that’s a lot for fourth graders.
Yep.
Ah, yes, teacher life. I loved teaching middle school, but there were so many days when my lesson plans went out the window. And yet, we were all the better for it. Students would deal with the issues that kept them from engaging with the lesson, and I learned more about their lives, why being in chorus was important to them, but what I could do to help them develop as singers and as people. You clearly are connecting with your students. Yes, it’s exhausting. But it’s so worth it. Hang in there!
It really is worth it! I just have to keep reminding myself how much I love the kids, even when they’re driving me crazy.
The way you improvised or as I sometimes called it “winging it,” was excellent, Rachel. Good decisions. Kids have to have fun learning or it won’t stick and you’re wasting your time. Well done! Love your little dog!!!
Thank you!
“that was so two weeks ago” gave me a real laugh Rachel.
But in my mind any victory you have cancels out all of the defeats, even if they are many, as long as they are addressed as such. “Hey gang, I know that was disappointing but did you see what we did a the same time, right there, in equal measure? Feels so much better now doesn’t it?”
Enjoy your soon recharge and give yourself a bit of an actual break while you’re at it. You deserve that from what I can tell. They won’t be lost in some wild wilderness while you catch your breath.
Been a while but a great, engaging read as always.
Cheers as always Rachel
Thank you so much!
What a fabulous way of teaching? I’ve thought of a lot of different ways of getting information into someone’s head but you found a way to get into their hearts. And then the Bible Players confirmed it all! If nobody else has said it, I’ll tell you, you did good. And really, what is life if not improv.
Thank you! I keep wishing for something more predictable, but the best things have been surprises, so…
They quite often are!
What an entertaining post, Rachel. I enjoyed it immensely, but I get why you are fatigued! Rest when you can. Peace, Gina
Thank you so much!
You said it all with ‘So I, literally, tossed my lesson plan aside’. You definitely have the hang of this.
I’m trying! Thank you!
My son has a professor in some college course that has the students act out scenes they are learning. I just read in a brain science book that any physical movement made while learning something new causes you to remember it more. Because you are using different areas of the brain at the same time as opposed to just reading or reciting something that only uses one. I would say going with the flow has made you a better teacher. Recharge this summer and conquer it all again next year!
The hardest part is pairing movement with content that I actually want them to learn, but I’m getting there!
I like the way you integrate photos with your story.
Thank you!
That’s cool that your students are into acting. I loved acting when I was in high school. It’s good that it’s exciting to try new things, even if it is exhausting.
They are in love with it, coming up with characters and scenarios of their own!
To my fellow bloggers. Sorry for my blogging inactivity these past months. A lot on our plate with this big move from the San Diego area to Oceanside, CA. Now to see who’s till out there.
Have a wonderful day!
Art
“Learning needs to be exciting, and engaging, and interactive in order to work. And Improvise!” GREAT TEACHING Philosophy! Loved the enthusiasm of this year’s student and your response to their need! Vickie
I learn so much from these kids!
Beautiful work. In the classroom & out.
Thank you so much!
You seem to have a sympatico with these kids. My younger son’s friends (all boys) used to hang out at our house all the time. I had that kind of a relationship with them, and it was rewarding for all of us. I hope that continues throughout your subsequent classes.
I hope so too!
I really love that the kids got into the stories through acting! How meaningful and fun! (And exhausting, yes… you’ve earned your break!)
What I love is that the acting allows them to not only feel like they’re a part of the stories, it allows them to change and add to the stories.
This is so great: your students and you are clearly lucky to have one another. Yes to improvisation! Yes to time for Rachel to restore and recover. I am thinking of the line about the Clerk in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: “And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach.”
I feel like I’m starting over every year and learning new lessons, which feels crazy and wonderful at the same time.
Your caption under the first photo had me laughing out loud. being flexible and improvising is so important, and enriching for all. I taught special needs adults in art and other topics and I learned quickly to improvise. It was fun, and I learned a lot. It sounds like everyone had fun in your classes. Tired yes, but a good tired.
It really is fun when you discover things you’d never have found any other way. The kids take whatever I give them and make it so much more interesting!
I taught for 31 years. As you know, flexibility is the name of the game in education. There are always a host of variables that make each day an adventure. What works one day or year may not the next. Kudos to you for running with the performing idea. That’s one the best ways to raise the self-esteem of children.
It’s wonderful to see them creating and enjoying themselves!
This is wonderful! I always found the best way to get students to engage is to meet them where they are. It is more important that they learn the lessons than the way they are presented.
Absolutely! Sometimes it just takes me a while to get to where they are.
this resonates with me so much
That’s awesome!
As a dyslexic child I would have loved your class. Academia came hard, but acting, miming, singing the lessons (as one fabulous teacher did) were a joy – and remembered!
That’s wonderful!
You are a wonderful teacher, Rachel. Your students are blessed to have you. May you be refreshed and renewed during the summer break because your kids need you. God bless.
Thank you!
Hope you’re back to feeling peppy soon
Thank you!