When the opportunity to join the More Than Minds: Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Learning (SESL) cohort arrived in my email inbox from Jewish LearningWorks, I was intrigued. As a former public school educator, I was well versed in the concepts surrounding SEL strategies. I had used them in my classroom, taught them to other teachers as a specialist and I understood their importance in creating a space where learning could happen. My interest was piqued by the addition of the second “S” — spiritual — into the mix. As someone who sees the development of spirituality and the spiritual self as a core element of what I do as a Jewish educator, I was glad to have this opportunity to learn from my peers and from someone who has been developing and putting these strategies into practice, Dr. Nancy Parkes. 

Spirituality is a term that can be difficult to define. Dr. Brené Brown defines it as …recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives. For years, spirituality was confined to religious spaces as a non-scientific “feeling” that some people can connect to and some cannot. Explorations into spirituality as a driver for behavior or an antidote to dysfunction were considered pseudoscience and dismissed out of hand. Then, Dr. Lisa Miller of Columbia University began to do scientific research into spirituality — looking for scientific connections and a way to prove that spirituality is something innate — something we are all born with. In her book “The Awakened Brain”, Dr. Miller walks through the process of her research and the irrefutable evidence that spirituality is a key element in combating things like depression, thoughts of suicide, substance abuse and addiction. For those working with children, this is incredibly important information to have. If we can help develop their spiritual beings, we also help to provide them with yet another tool for dealing with the world around them as they grow. 

In professional development spaces, we rarely find programming that speaks to the true core of what our students need as individual human beings. Workshops tend to highlight the newest strategies under the sun for managing behavior, teaching new topics, integrating STEM and the like. These are important. Educators need new ideas to keep their lessons fresh and relevant. They need strategies that are effective and easy to implement. AND…those of us who have been in education for decades know that you also have to always pay attention to the inner workings of a student’s heart, to their emotional health and to their physical needs first. If they are hungry, upset, feeling left out or unseen, they won’t be able to learn what you are trying to teach them. “Effective classroom management is an extension of the quality of the relationship in the classroom.” I’m not sure if this is an exact quote from Dr. Parkes, but it cuts to the core of SESL. The strategies that were presented in the More Than Minds workshops were not only relevant to building relationships with students and between students, they were easy to understand and implement. From mood meters to four quadrant check-ins, blob trees to “little wins” boards, each strategy was appropriate and practical and the discussions that developed around each one were opportunities to process our challenges as educators and reach new understandings for moving forward. 

I spend a lot of time in the spiritual development space. I lead groups and retreats for adults, sessions for our teens and share strategies with my teachers for the youngest members of our community. In every space I teach, I have used ideas from Dr. Parkes’ workshops. As Jewish educators, we are tasked with the important job of not only educating our students in the story, traditions and “basics” of Judaism, but also with creating an internal connection and sense of belonging to a people and the divine presence that links us to each other. I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to learn with a cohort of professionals who see this as holy and important work. May we all continue to nurture our spiritual selves and grow in community together. 

I am thankful for Jewish Learning Works for the innovative ways they provide support for teachers. I have attended several programs and have found each one to be full of enriching conversations and helpful strategies to elevate our sacred work of nurturing Jewish students. They are a gem and I look forward to learning more in the seasons to come.