(טו) ארבע מידות ביושבי לפני חכמים--ספוג, ומשפך, משמרת, ונפה: ספוג, שהוא סופג את הכול; משפך--שהוא מכניס בזו, ומוציא בזו; משמרת--שהיא מוציאה את היין, וקולטת את השמרים; ונפה--שהיא מוציאה את הקמח, וקולטת את הסולת.
(15) There are four types who sit before the sages: the sponge, the funnel, the strainer, and the sieve. The sponge - because it absorbs everything; the funnel - because it lets in at one end and out the other; the strainer - because it lets the wine out and retains the sediment; the sieve - because it lets out the bran and retains the fine flour.
- How would you explain each of these four learners in your own words
- What type of student are you?
- How do you, as the teacher, teach to all four types of students?
(ו) חֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל פִּי דַרְכּוֹ גַּם כִּי יַזְקִין לֹא יָסוּר מִמֶּנָּה.
(6) Educate a child according to their own path, and even when they grow old they will not depart from it.
(ב) כיצד מלמדים הרב יושב בראש והתלמידים מוקפים לפניו כעטרה כדי שיהו כלם רואים הרב ושומעים דבריו ולא ישב הרב על הכסא ותלמידיו על הקרקע אלא או הכל על הארץ או הכל על הכסאות ובראשונה היה הרב יושב והתלמידים עומדים ומקודם חורבן בית שני נהגו הכל ללמד לתלמידים והם יושבים.
How do we teach? The teacher should sit at the head, and everybody should sit around him so that they will all be able to see him and hear his words. The teacher shouldn't sit on a chair while his students sit on the ground; either they all sit on the ground or they all sit on chairs. Originally, the teacher would sit and the students stand, but since before the destruction of the second Temple everyone followed the practice of teaching while both they and the students were seated.
Guiding Questions:
- What elements from this text speak to how you envision teaching Religious School here?
- What elements from this text are different from how you envision teaching here?
- How might the environment where you are now influence your teaching?