There’s an old joke that I heard when I started school: “Those who can do, do – and those who cannot do, teach. This statement is completely false when it comes to teaching Judaism and anything Torah-related. A teacher must be an exemplary example of one who “does” – who “practices what he preaches.”
First let me ask you: of all you teachers throughout your years of study, how many of them do you really remember? And even if you remember them, how many of them do you really remember as having an impact on your life? Or even remember what they taught you? I imagine the answer is “Very few – if any”.
Why is that? When I first started teaching I went to the teachers I had and liked or those I knew to be successful and asked their advice. One told me that if I teach, I need to do it with all my efforts and abilities, and not just as “another job”.
However, I think the most valuable advice was from the head of a large yeshiva in Israel who told me that teaching is not really so different than any other trade. I was surprised at this statement. He explained that there are important skills and craftsmanship tools that must be acquired through special training – unless one is a “natural teacher”, which is very rare. And even then, learning techniques and the “tricks of the trade” is still invaluable to captivate the attention and desire of the students to learn, absorb and practice what is taught.
He likened teaching to being a plumber! Just as a plumber has his own tools and techniques to know how to deal with his subject matter and craft, so too a teacher must learn and use special teaching tactics and methods to be successful in his efforts.
In addition, a teacher must have great patience and concern for a student who doesn’t learn as fast as the teacher hopes. As our Sages teach: “One who is too harsh cannot teach” (Chapters of Our Fathers 4:3).
The Talmud relates a story of a rabbi who taught his student the same material 400 times until the student finally understood it. A Heavenly voice announced that as reward for his great love for his student and for his dedication to teaching Torah, he and his entire generation would merit long lives in this world and receive an important place in the Afterlife.
Another apt bit of advice is a quotation that sticks in my mind, one that is attributed to President Dwight D. Eisenhower: "A good teacher is one who can understand those who are not very good at explaining, and explain to those who are not very good at understanding." A successful teacher needs to travel a “two-way street” in the classroom. He needs to be able to relate to the students in a way that he understands them and their needs – whether they verbalize these needs or not - and also be able to teach in a manner which “speaks” to them and their individual needs.
To truly do justice in writing about this subject of teaching would literally require an entire library of books, but I hope I have clearly shared a few essential ideas that I feel are needed in order to be a successful teacher, and I suggest you continue your research with me and the other educators at Gateways Organization, as well as other teachers and resources you can find.
