What it's like to be a distance learning teacher: Bet Shalom

Here’s to the educators—on a moment’s notice, they completely transformed how they do their jobs to make sure our kids’ Jewish education didn’t miss a beat. We wanted to know: How are they handling this? What are they learning? How can we help them? For the next several days, we’ll be sharing interviews with teachers at our seven partner schools. 

Julie Friedman, a fourth-grade religious school teacher at Bet Shalom, says distance learning has helped her see the value in keeping Jewish traditions alive at home.  

How was the transition to distance learning for you? 

Once the synagogue decided we were going to go to distance learning, they were absolutely wonderful and didn’t skip a beat. The first Sunday our two rabbis and religious school assistant director led class for the whole school. It was really beautiful how they instantly took the lead and got us all to learn together.  

We had a few whole school classes, then each teacher started doing their own class on Zoom. Class time is reduced to 40 minutes [from 2 hours] and then two separate Zoom calls for Hebrew through movement and shira (music) 

And how have you felt teaching over Zoom? 

It’s been a lot of let’s try this, okay that didn’t work, let’s pull back and try something new. I definitely learned that we can’t all sing at the same time when I tried to sing the four questions together! The next session, I started calling on them individually to sing. That was beautiful. 

It’s tough, but must be so worth it! 

I’m getting better at adaptation! I have to—this is a chance for the kids to get to be with their peers that are Jewish, and getting to talk about Jewish things. It was really special getting ready for Passover together. It’s fun to see that the kids have actually been really eager. Not all! But some of them – they're up for this. They're ready for this. 

Have you learned anything unexpected from this process? 

My own child is very quiet, and I know that she doesn’t participate verbally much during religious school. But the other day I overheard her class and they were playing a game where they had to type in things. She was really getting into it! I think some of the quieter kids are finding this way of learning helpful. 

I also have learned how for the future how much more I should put our teenage madrachim in charge. They can really step up! We brought them back to the class in May, and I knew I missed seeing them, but it was just really wonderful to have them. I had them each lead something fun on Zoom, and they did such a great job and engaged the kids and the kids were so excited. 

As a parent and teacher, do you have any thoughts for parents now parenting, teaching, and teaching religious school?  Before, it was easy to let Sunday/religious school take over Jewish learning. I think it’s more critical than ever to spend even just five minutes doing shabbat. Ordering a pizza, just doing the candles, a short kiddush, and challah! It may not seem like a lot, but I think it’s really important.  

Bet Shalom received a grant from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund to conduct education and engagement virtually.