Strategic Educational Seminars

An Integrative Approach To Jewish Education & Leadership

Educational · Psychological · Spiritual · Enjoyable

 

Courses & Training Created & Presented By

Edward Simcha Sheldon, Ph.D.

 

Other Courses and Training Topics

 

COURSES FOR TEACHING COLLEGES

 

 

Promoting Positive Multicultural Relationships

 

Need for Course:

Israeli citizens have experienced a variety of difficulties related to relationships among individuals and communities from different backgrounds, e.g. religious/secular, Ashkenazi/Sfaredi. Israelis need to learn how to relate positively with understanding, tolerance, mutual respect, acceptance, and cooperation.

 

Summary:

This course enables the learner to experience first hand issues of multicultural relationships. The classroom will be utilized as a model for teaching about and facilitating positive multicultural relationships – understanding, tolerance, mutual respect, acceptance, cooperation. The learner will gain understanding of a variety communication and relationship tools, techniques, and processes, as well as how to utilize this knowledge to promote good relationships within the classroom.

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Jewish Identity & Continuity Solutions To Critical Problems

 

Need for Course:

We are finally beginning to realize just how critical the issues of Jewish Identity & Continuity are. However few of us understand what can be done in the classroom to help.

 

Summary:

This program, available both as a semester class or workshop, explores the issues of what actually motivates, moves, and touches Jews, psychologically, behaviorally, emotionally, and spiritually to be interested in pursuing, identifying, and celebrating their Jewishness. Also discussed are techniques for outreach, curriculum implications, and family education.

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Jewish Identity & Continuity Through Family Education

 

Need for Course:

Israeli and non-Israeli Jewish families have been experiencing difficulties with family cohesion. Part of the problem can be attributed to problems related to Jewish and Israeli identity.

 

Summary:

This program, available both as a semester class or workshop, explains the dynamics and theories of family education and provides specific models for setting up Jewish family education systems. Included are examples of how various topics are presented to different learning groups, on their respective levels, and how these groups are later, brought together as families and communities to share their learning by sharing Jewish and Israeli celebrations and practices.

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Jewish Spirituality Through Meditation & Prayer

 

Need for Course:

Many Israeli leave Israel to pursue spiritual fulfillment. It is common to find Israeli’s who have left Israel, along with their connection to Judaism and Jewish traditions, searching for spirituality in India. This situation creates a loss to such individuals, their families, their communities, and to Israel. We could all benefit from such individuals finding their spiritual fulfillment within their relationship to Judaism, the Jewish people, and Israel. Unfortunately, the need for spiritual development is not addressed well in most schools and ‘religious’ encounters.

 

Summary:

Prayer and meditation are central to Jewish practice. It is the vehicle with which we relate to our Creator. Yet, for many of us, achieving a deep meaningful experience of prayer, particularly when reading from prescribed texts, is difficult. This seminar is designed to experientially, as well as cognitively, deepen the learner’s mediation and prayer experiences from Jewish, spiritual, psychological, emotional, behavioral, and Kabbalistic perspectives.

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Psychological Issues Of Changing One’s Level of Jewish Observance

 

Need for Course:

As Jews and Jewish educators we often confront the difficulties that arise when one changes his/her level of observance to Jewish practices. Educational systems have not addressed the issues and difficulties which arise when one changes his/her relationship to Jewish observance or when friends or family members do.

 

Summary:

This seminar is designed to raise your awareness and sensitivity to the issues and to provide practical approaches and solutions. Topics include: identifying and understanding inner struggles, prejudice, fitting in, family and friends, pacing, changing identities, and where to go for help.  Sharing and problem solving are encouraged.

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 Stress management & Motivation For Teachers and Administrators

 

Need for Course:

Stress is a major cause of absenteeism, health problems, family problems, decreased motivation, and job dissatisfaction.

 

Summary:

This program, available both as a semester class or workshop, is designed to give you powerful, effective, and easy to lean techniques for dealing with stress & motivation at work and at home-including behavioral self-management, NLP, biofeedback, and meditation. You will learn how to apply these techniques in teaching & creating a more positive classroom environment.

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Effective Teaching Methodologies for Working With Difficult Students

 

Need for Course:

Teachers, counselors, and administrators often find students in their classes who are difficult to work with because of learning disabilities, hyperactivity, psychological and emotional problems, inattentiveness, or because they disrupt the class. 

 

Summary:

This program, available both as a semester class or workshop, is designed to teach practical approaches and cognitive understandings to help the classroom teacher and school administrator how to be more effective in facilitating the educational, behavioral, and spiritual growth of these students.

 

Samples of Full Course Outlines

 

Courses available to Michlalot (teaching colleges) and other educational institutions

 

Western pop culture and Israel -

The effects of Western pop culture on Israel and on Israelis’ personal and national identity, and how the school system, educators, and parents can deal positively with this phenomenon

 

Summary

Western culture has had a powerful effect on many aspects of Israeli life – positive and negative. In this course the effect of Western culture will be examined as well as approaches and tools to be used to increase the positive effects, as well as to repair and decrease the negative ones.

 

NEW 2 semester course, in 2 parts

Part 1

 

Goals

Participants will …

  1. Understand the psychological and social dynamics of the relationship between and effects of Western culture and values and Israeli values and cultures
  2. Understand how these dynamics affect classroom and teaching/learning dynamics
  3. Understand how these dynamics affect the personal development of their students
  4. Learn how to utilize these dynamics to improve the functionality of the classroom and the personal development of their students
  5. Be able to create and practice using strategies and teaching methods to achieve the above goals
  6. Learn how to work on a systemic level (including parents and community)
  7. Be able to evaluate the outcomes (success and/or failures) of their interventions

 

Issues to be examined:

  1. Why is there a tendency to appreciate that wish is specifically not Israeli
  2. What are the positive and negative elements of the Israeli’s personal identity?
  3. What are the positive and negative elements of the Israeli’s national identity?
  4. What are the perceived positive and negative elements of Western culture on the individual Israeli?
  5. What are the perceived positive and negative elements of Western culture on the Israeli family?
  6. What are the perceived positive and negative elements of Western culture on Israeli communities?
  7. What are the perceived positive and negative elements of Western culture Israel, as a country?
  8. How do the effects of Western culture affect the nature of the learning experience in the classroom? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  9. How do the effects of Western culture affect the nature of the learning experience in the home? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  10. How do the effects of Western culture affect the nature of the learning experience in the personal world of the child/student? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  11. How do the effects of Western culture affect the nature of the teaching attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors of the teacher in the classroom?
  12. Can Israel and Israelis integrate positive Western elements into Israel’s culture, so to preserve and increase positive Israeli identity?
  13.  Can Israeli schools, teachers, and parents positive Western elements into Israel’s culture, so to preserve and increase positive Israeli identity for their children/students?
  14. How can educators promote positive values and identity without infringing on democratic or personal rights?
  15. What are the roles and responsibilities, if any, of the national educational system, and of teachers, to help their students deal with these issues?
  16. What are the roles and responsibilities, if any, of parents, to help their students deal with these issues?
  17. How do parents, schools, teachers, and the educational system determine appropriate goals to deal with the above issues?
  18. How do parents, schools, teachers, and the educational system choose appropriate educational methods to achieve these goals?
  19. How can teachers utilize the classroom teaching/learning experience to enhance values and identity?
  20. How do parents, schools, teachers, and the educational system evaluate the consequences of their intervention?

 

Part 2, semester 2

 

The second part of the course, taken the following semester consists of:

  1. Choosing Western values that are positive for Israelis and Israeli identity
  2. Choosing and creating methods to teach them to students within the classroom setting
  3. Choosing Western values that are negative for Israelis and Israeli society
  4. Choosing and creating methods to teach students to eliminate them within the classroom setting

 

Learning Activities

 

  1. Class participation
  2. Reading assignments
  3. Multimedia presentations

 

Participant Responsibilities

  1. Class attendance
  2. Participation in discussions
  3. Completion of homework assignments
  4. Course project – that facilitates practical application in the classroom
  5. Final examination

 

Participant Evaluation

 

 

 

NEW COURSE – NEW COURSE – NEW COURSE

 

 

Teaching Universal and Israeli values utilizing the Jewish/Israeli historical/cultural experience as a source of learning and inspiration

 

Need for Class

Israel as a nation and Israelis as individuals have been suffering from a decline in positive Jewish and Israeli identity. Israelis have been searching elsewhere to find meaning in their lives.

 

Summary:

This class is designed to help teachers help their students to recognize, appreciate, embrace, and actualize both the positive Universal values that can be found within the Jewish/Israeli context, as well as those positive values that are specifically Jewish/Israeli.

 

Goals

Participants will …

  1. Understand how Israelis have devalued their own history, culture, values, and identity
  2. Understand why Israeli’s are less aware of how Universal values are inherent in traditionally Jewish/Israeli culture and history
  3. Understand the psychological and social dynamics related to the decline of Jewish and Israeli identity
  4. Understand how these dynamics affect classroom and teaching/learning dynamics
  5. Understand how these dynamics affect the personal development of their students, and their students’ values
  6. Learn how to change these dynamics and improve the functionality of the classroom and the personal development of their students
  7. Be able to create and practice using strategies and teaching methods to achieve the above goals
  8. Learn how to work on a systemic level (including parents and community)
  9. Be able to evaluate the outcomes (success and/or failures) of their interventions

 

Issues to be examined:

  1. Why is there a tendency to be unaware that desirable Universal values are a basic part of Judaism and Israeli culture and history?
  2. Why is there a tendency to discount that wish is specifically Israeli?
  3. What are the Universal values that Israeli want to embrace
  4. Are they found within a Jewish/Israeli context?
  5. Why do many Israelis not appreciate the connection of these Universal values to Judaism?
  6. What are the consequences of the decline of identification with Jewish/Israeli values?
  7. How do these consequences affect the nature of the learning experience in the classroom? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  8. How do these consequences affect the nature of the learning experience in the classroom? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  9. How do these consequences affect the nature of the teaching attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors of the teacher in the classroom?
  10. How do these consequences affect the nature of the learning experience in the personal world of the child/student? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  11. How do these consequences affect the nature of the learning experience in the home? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  12. How do these consequences affect the nature of the Israeli experience within Israeli communities?
  13. How do these consequences affect the nature of the Israeli experience between communities? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  14. How do these consequences affect the nature of the Israeli experience in the Nation? (attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors)
  15. Can Israel and Israelis find a way to increase the value they place upon Jewish and Israeli values?
  16. Can Israeli schools, teachers, and parents help to preserve and increase their children’s’/students’ positive identification with and actualization of Jewish/Israeli values?
  17. How can educators promote this identification without infringing on democratic or personal rights?

18.  What are the roles and responsibilities, if any, of the national educational system, and of teachers, to help their students deal with these issues?

  1. What are the roles and responsibilities, if any, of parents, to help their students deal with these issues?
  2. How do parents, schools, teachers, and the educational system determine appropriate goals to deal with the above issues?
  3. How do parents, schools, teachers, and the educational system choose appropriate educational methods to achieve these goals?
  4. How can teachers utilize the classroom teaching/learning experience to enhance identification and valuation of Jewish/Israeli values?
  5. How do parents, schools, teachers, and the educational system evaluate the consequences of their intervention?

 

Part 2, semester 2

 

The second part of the course, taken the following semester consists of:

  1. Choosing values that are positive for Israelis and Israeli identity
  2. Choosing and creating methods to teach them to students within the classroom setting utilizing Jewish/Israeli sources.

 

Learning Activities

  1. Class participation
  2. Reading assignments
  3. Multimedia presentations

 

Participant Responsibilities

  1. Class attendance
  2. Participation in discussions
  3. Completion of homework assignments
  4. Course project – that facilitates practical application in the classroom
  5. Final examination

 

Participant Evaluation

 

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For more information, please contact us:

seminars@lovingheart.org, or www.lovingheart.org/seminars-jewishidentity           

 

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