Last month I blogged about how our school had decided to attack “Community of Kindness” through the “7 Habits” – which is how I have come to the appellation “Habits of Kindness” as a shorthand for ongoing kindness activities. August & September were spent on the first Habit: “Be Proactive” and I committed to blogging each month about that month’s habit.
October has us spending time on the second Habit: Beginning With End in Mind. Students, teachers, and classes have all been charged with creating individual and class “mission statements”. I invite you to tour the MJGDS Blogosphere for examples. [For one excellent example, check out Kitah Dalet’s latest blog post.]
So…what is my “mission statement” as a head of school? I realize that “mission statements” are supposed to be brief. Any reader of my blog knows that I don’t do “brief” all that well. So let me be a bit more creative and supply a mission/vision statement…here’s my crack at it:
Statement of Educational Philosophy & Practice
Background
There is no theory or idea that when put into practice works equally well in all or even many situations. My experiences in the field coupled with my experiences in academia have lead me to conclude that pragmatism is truly the best philosophy. As I have moved on in my career – from different kinds of jobs (informal Jewish educator/congregational educator/day school head) in all kinds of different communities (Los Angeles/New York/Las Vegas/Jacksonville), I have taken that pragmatism with me. I believe that every educational situation is different, and that to be successful one needs to be willing to try anything and everything to fulfill one’s mission.
Overarching Goals for Jewish Day School Students
- Students will be academically prepared for advanced and rigorous study at the next school of their choice.
- Students will see education and Jewish education as life-long endeavors in which they are active participants.
- Students develop a sense of independence, positive self-esteem, and are encouraged to reach their truest and highest potential.
Pedagogy – Na’aseh V’Nishma
This quotation from the Torah, “Na’aseh V’Nishma” (Exodus 24:7), has been interpreted in many ways in Jewish tradition. The meaning, which speaks most deeply to me, is: “We will do and then we will understand.” I believe strongly that children learn best by doing.
In addition, I believe the following:
- Children learn best through experiences in which they are able to construct personal meaning.
- Jewish children deserve the opportunity to experiment with authentic Jewish ritual practice.
- Students learn in different ways and have varying needs. It is our responsibility to provide a wide array of learning experiences to meet those needs.
- Each student is unique and benefits from the freedom and responsibility involved in developing his or her own identity.
- Jewish tradition provides a wealth of wisdom and insight that contributes to one’s whole life; therefore, Judaic and secular curricula are treated with equal respect (if not always time).
- Family and community are critical partners in a child’s education.
- An experiential approach to learning compels one to aim not only for students’ minds, but their hearts, bodies, and souls as well.
- 21st Century Learning – technology, second-language acquisition, global connectedness, collaboration and transparency – is an essential pedagogy for today’s school.
Jewish Education
American values are not necessarily Jewish values and vice versa. Integration cannot be imposed by the school; it is constructed by the student. Jewish education does not reflect a synthesis of the secular and Judaic, but rather an interaction. Academic excellence within the disciplines only serves as a prerequisite. Schools have a responsibility to let students struggle with authentic examples of these interactions, as they exist in the world around them.
Jewish education has a stake in the choices students make. Schools must make clear which choices are considered more preferable than others and why. What those desired choices are and why they should be so desired will naturally differ from school to school. The basic pedagogic principle, however, ought to be consistent. Students learn best by doing. Jewish students learn best to make Jewish choices by choosing.
Vision of How to Lead a School
To be a Head of School is to have primary responsibility for enacting the mission of his/her school as determined by its primary stakeholders: board, parents, professionals, students, donors, and community partners. Being a Head of School requires infinite pragmatism and the ability to actualize a varied set of skills across ever-shifting contexts. One has to see both the forest through the trees (focus on the mission) and the trees through the forest (focus on the details) in order to be successful. The job requires one to be comfortable functioning as a bundle of contradictions – knowing when to listen and when to speak; when to inspire and when to be inspired; when to act and when not acting is the best course of action; when to lead and when to allow others to lead; etc. Context – and the ability to recognize contextual cues – is paramount.
Do you have have a professional or personal mission/vision statement? If you want to begin with the end in mind, you’ll need to create one!
