Three years ago Rabbi Hagler presented me with an
interesting challenge. He suggested that I become the Gemara “rebbe” for the 8th
grade girls at Noam teaching from my home in Yerushalayim. As I have had the
privilege of teaching 8th graders for many years, and it had been
such a rewarding experience, I jumped right at Rabbi Hagler’s offer and I am
now in the midst of my third year teaching at Noam via Skype.
The most surprising success of this experiment is what I was
most nervous about. Would it be possible to form a teacher-student relationship
via a computer screen? I can answer a resounding yes! Mind you, that I see them
for only one period a day and I do not have the luxury of “hanging” with them
during recess or lunch, but yet I feel that I know the girls, their learning
styles and strengths and weaknesses, and that they know me.
Self discipline is the credo of the class, and in some ways
that is the most important life skill which the class is able to impart. While
I can see and hear everything in the room the lack of a physical presence might
be an invitation for irresponsibility or laxity. The girls have risen up to the
challenge and have taken responsibility for themselves and their education
which ultimately is the goal of middle school education. In fact, my favorite
moment is when the girls take a test with no proctor physically in the room,
and are governed by their own conscious and by the knowledge that they are
being trusted and respected and that is more than sufficient reason to abide by
the highest standards of behavior.
So, how does the class work? Yeshivat Noam has invested in
technology, that provides a crystal clear Skype connection (at least most of
the time) allowing a feeling as if I am in Paramus. The distance learning room
is furnished with excellent sound and the class size has been a maximum of 15.
In addition to Skype we use “Team Viewer” so that as I type notes on my
computer screen the girls see it on the smart board. This provides us with the
technology that we need in order to learn together effectively.
Gemara learning on the 8th grade level is an
amazing and mesmerizing experience. Students have learned the basic methodology
and flow of the Gemara in grades 6 and 7 and are now prepared to think about the
Gemara a lot more and to begin to use
the text as a tool to start figuring the Gemara on their own. The transition
from being a learner of the material to becoming an active participant in the
process of learning is of course what תורה שבעל פה is all about.
Finally, as I sit in my home in Yerushalayim teaching the
students of Noam, the connection to ארץ ישראל and specifically to ירושלים עיר הקודש is enhanced. I do my best to convey to the
girls the unbelievable זכות we have to participate in the miracle of שיבת
ציון and I try to take every opportunity to share with them the
small things that make Israel so special.
I am thoroughly enjoying the experience!
