JCast Network

In our determined search for free items to use in our classroom displays, we may have to resort to a bit of what my Bubbe might have called “schnorring.” Schnorring is asking for something in such an earnest and endearing way that the giver actually feels good about agreeing to your request. Schnorring goes somethng […]

E-h-h-h, what’s up, Doc? With a nod to Bugs Bunny for that opener, what is up, on your classroom walls? In recent posts, I’ve suggested ways to create wall displays and to encourage students to gather information from these displays. How about the raw materials that go into the displays? Where do we find items […]

What’s a nice buffalo like this doing in a Jewish education blog? In the process of learning how to add photos to my blog, the very knowledgeable, patient college student who was helping me, needed a photo to use as an example. The buffalo happened to be in my photo file and was uploaded into […]

How is an office supply store like a religious school classroom? Well, both have pencils, chalk, notebooks, and loads of copy paper. But that’s not the answer. You knew that, right? So, in the spirit of Midrashim and shtetl folktales, let me tell you a (true) story. Recently, I attended “Teacher Appreciation Day” at a […]

Shabbat Shalom. To complete the description of the Treasure Hunt game, here are 2 variations. This is a good Holiday activity that can be part of a class celebration.In advance of the actual celebration, give each student small (2″x1.5″) post-it notes and ask the students to draw symbols of the Holiday you’re celebrating (apple, lulav, […]

I’ve been thinking about my post of 8/4/10 where I describe the Treasure Hunt game. The description sounds a bit complicated, but really Treasure Hunt is simply an interactive form of a matching or fill-in-the-blanks exercise. Instead of completing a pencil and paper matching or fill-in exercise, students get to walk around and hunt for […]

Ahoy Mateys! Time for a treasure hunt! In the Treasure Hunt game, students examine classroom displays very carefully as they race to find hidden “treasures.” The treasures are small pictures or little cards representing material the students have studied.The pictures or cards are tacked or taped to various displays. The pictures might depict foods whose […]

It’s the first day of religious school and you’ve put alot of effort into classroom displays. Do the students ooh and aah over your creativity? Do they eagerly examine every sign, flash card, and poster you’ve so carefully placed? No way! They’re busy meeting and greeting their classmates and comparing ipods or smart phones or […]

Like a snowball rolling down a mountain, certain topics in Judaic Studies gather more and more information as the weeks go by. Students recognize and decode more and more Hebrew letters, vowels, and whole words. They study the Holiday cycle from ever more mature points of view. Torah Study centers around gleaning additional insights each […]

Shavuah Tov. In this post, I had intended to describe a cumulative wall display. Then, I brought in the Sunday paper. WOW! Loads of ads with totally cheap school supplies! Your Question: “So what? My school supplies chalk, pencils, paper. What more do I need?” My answer: How about a protractor – only $.05 at […]