“May we build monkey bars in the Gan classroom?” I presented this unusual request to Jen prior to the start of summer vacation. She listened earnestly as I explained that over the past few years, I have observed the positive impact that yoga, mindfulness, weight bearing exercises, and brain breaks can have on student focus and engagement. […] Read More

On Wednesday, September 26th, Hebrew Day School joined over 4 million people from around the world to celebrate Character Day, or as we call it at HDS, Mensch Day. It is an opportunity to talk about the character traits we hope to have and develop in ourselves in order to be the best people we […] Read More

“Science has been hard at work trying to explain why singing has such a calming yet energizing effect on people. What researchers are beginning to discover is that singing is like an infusion of the perfect tranquilizer, the kind that both soothes your nerves and elevates your spirits…. (Time Magazine Stacy Horn  Aug. 16, 2013) As […] Read More

“Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.” – David Alan Harvey, Photographer Sprinting, skipping, laughing, cartwheeling children scatter as the doors fly open. Arms wide, smiles wider, they RUN! To the trees, to the field, to the swings, the hill, and the playground equipment. From my left I hear fourth graders calling […] Read More

How many of these activities would you enjoy as a way to access learning? * Building a structure  *  Performing a play  *  Creating a clay pot  * * Reading a book  *  Studying a map  *  Throwing a spear  * In 1st-2nd grade, we just completed a two-month social studies unit on Native Americans. The class […] Read More

Pesach is coming up, and like every year, I find myself remembering the mitzvah of “V’higadeta l’vincha” (“and you should tell your children”). With this mitzvah, the Torah is commanding us to sit and talk to our children, to pass down the Pesach story to them in a way that they can understand. Although every year […] Read More

I hear it in my classroom year after year: “I give up.” “I don’t get it.” “I’m never going to learn this!” “I’m so stupid.” Teachers (and parents) are happy to jump in and tell the child “You can do it!” “You can figure it out!” “You are smart!” But how do we teach children […] Read More

One of the most relevant quotes I’ve heard comes from the Talmud: “I have learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and the most from my students.” This is a phrase I see play out in my classroom every day, and although every day I am reminded of just how true it is, it […] Read More

When our son, Jacob, was old enough to walk through the grocery store aisles, we began a new family giving tradition. Each week, Jacob would select a healthy food item, place it carefully in the cart, and upon returning home, he would carry it into our pantry where we stowed our ‘charity box.’  As the […] Read More

One of the most visible aspects of Judaism is prayer. Whether we’re in a synagogue celebrating a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, or at home celebrating Shabbat, or l’havdil, at a shiva minyan, prayers and blessings abound. How do we give Jewish children the tools to participate fully in Jewish prayer? This challenge is one that […] Read More