500 Educators Join Webinar Series

The Merkos Chinuch Office tried a bold experiment and it was a rousing success.

In lieu of the summer Chinuch Kinusim (conferences), the Chinuch Office organized a month-long series of online Chinuch presentations in Webinar form, which enabled hundreds of educators from across the globe to join, watch, listen and learn.

“Educators, have the power to impact the future with every sentence, every expression, every reaction and interaction within our classroom. That is a daunting responsibility and it begs us to consider how we can become more conscious of this impact and design our behaviors accordingly,” said Dr. Rochelle Green, outstanding educational thinker, former dean of the Fischler Graduate school of Education, of Nova Southeastern University. She presented a series of four consecutive lectures which concentrated on a practical classroom management.

Rabbi Nochem Kaplan, director of the Merkos Chinuch Office, taught a series on the educational “magnum opus” of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbes, Kl’alei Chinuch V’haHadracha.

Rabbi Levi Eisenberg, MsEd, a Mechanech at Cheder Menachem in Los Angeles, presented a unique creative and practical approach to lesson planning and execution and Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, former head of school of Torah Day School, Atlanta GA, presented on the Art of Oral Testing or how to develop the essential skills to be able to test orally and get a full, focused understanding of student progress.

Chana Almogi wrote from Israel; “I would just like to sincerely thank all those who worked hard to make this an incredibly helpful Chinuch Kinus. It has been such a pleasure for me to participate in all eight sessions; I never had the opportunity to do so before”.

“Rabbi Kaplan–thank you for organizing this whole experience, as well as the lucid explanations and beautiful stories in your own classes which brought the Klolim to life in a way I had never learned before despite my familiarity with this foundation of Chinuch al pi Chassidus”, wrote Esther Rochel Elkaim, from Florida.

“Dr. Green’s classes were truly enjoyable and engaging; Rabbi Eisenberg and Rabbi Hoff were both stimulating and thought provoking. The polls kept us all on edge and made the participation seem as if we were all in a classroom together.

“I learned a lot, mostly to focus on things that I inherently knew and often did, but I now understand the science and research behind it. I also expect to think through my management approaches in a more methodical and deliberate manner, rather than relying on instinct,” Ms. Elkaim wrote.

Rabbi Nochem Kaplan said “While we will not be able to recreate the electrifying atmosphere of a Kinus, the webinars will allow many mechanchim and mechanchos across the globe to participate. The well over five hundred educators who participated has prompted the Chinuch Office to consider sponsoring such events throughout the year.