Thinking about returning conjures
images of going back - to what we have done, to what we once knew or to what we may have previously
said.
There are times when this is
worthwhile. Memories are powerful,
with the ability to ground us in the relationships that make us whole.
And yet, all too often, we
allow ourselves to fall back on what was, what we have always done. Maybe because it's comfortable, easier. “Because we
have always done it that way,” can be a dangerous phrase when it is used as an explanation rather than investing the time to do more. We are all guilty of this. We must challenge ourselves to grow.
When we truly
do the hard work of introspection we will be ready for
more. Reflection can lead us from
“it’s good enough,” to “we can do better.”
And we can.We can make the Jewish world a place where
everyone is welcome.We can help more of
our synagogues to become inclusive. We can build the relationships and shape the programs
that reach those we have yet to reach.
We can do this.We must do this.
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Take any of the many hats that I wear and at some point every
day I will offer advice. Educator, Jewish professional, Inclusion Specialist, teacher trainer, blog author, supervisor, mentor, parent, friend… each one of these
roles has some advice-giving inherently built in.
And lest you read any negativity here, it is not implied. Giving
advice often gets a bad rap, but it’s not the advice itself that’s really at
issue. At issue is the way the advice is given; the issue is often the advice GIVER.
Case in point: We run the risk of
“becoming the wallpaper” when we are the ONLY voice consistently sharing a
specific message. We need partners. Otherwise we help advice get its bad name, as each of us alone could veer
too close to nagging, hassling or badgering.
Please don’t misunderstand – I am not suggesting that we
stop offering advice or stop sharing our message. Rather, I am suggesting that we need to consistently vary the ways
in which that message is delivered.
A perfect example:
Sometimes all is takes is a simple shift to another point of
view. Or maybe it's as simple as using a different modality to amplify your message.
So let me give you a little advice...
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Working with students of different abilities to ensure they have access to a meaningful Jewish education enables
me to revisit my own personal commitment to inclusion over and over again. Over the years I have learned amazing strategies and techniques in adapting curriculum, shaping lessons, and accommodating individual students' needs.
However, the most significant thing I have learned is that simply accommodating
a student’s needs is not inclusion.Don’t get me wrong, making appropriate accommodations is an essential strategy
in working with all students who have unique learning needs.But there’s more to inclusion.
Let me give you an example:
A class of students is going to break into chevruta
(partner groups) to study a Jewish text.A written copy of the text is given to each student.The teacher decides that since this is a
discussion-based activity, the text can be read aloud to a student who is
blind and she can still fully participate.
What’s wrong with this?
Put yourself in the scenario.Are you typically the one who says (when
something is read aloud), “Let me see that, I missed half of what you
said.”?If so, you are probably a visual
learner. (Read more about learning styles.) This is how Braille can function for a
student that is blind; it’s her way of “seeing” the text for herself.
Here is another example:
Students will be working in groups to explore leadership and
community building.The activity relies on students' ability to observe one another as they engage
in the task.Adding a listening role
to the group for a student who is blind is a reasonable accommodation, but
adding that same role to every group is inclusive.
One more: Making sure there is a chair available for a student who has a physical disability is a reasonable accommodation, but reshaping the activity so that all of the students will sit is inclusive.
Inclusion isn't always easy. Sometimes it takes trial and error. And it takes both intentionality and planning.
As we learn from Rabbi Tarfon in Pirkei Avot: "It is not your responsibility
to finish the work [of perfecting the world], but neither are you free to desist from it." (2:16)
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