Not going into the subject of retiring, however I do want to bring up an interesting point. I have realized that most working people get days off, usually Sundays. Teachers however, mostly don’t have this luxury. Most teachers work from Sunday to Friday, from 9:00 till the late afternoon. This is the schedule for months after months. Yes, the teacher might get off here and there, but during those long working months he might not have even a day to breathe. Even his regular doctor appointments have to be after hours, on Fridays or even on his vacation days.

Sometimes when a teacher asks for a break he is told that this is not what the Rebbe wants. Really?

Don’t forget that the teachers are human, and need a break too.

Out of curiosity, what are some of the “quality issues” you noticed between your CH grandchildren and your Out-of-Town grandchildren.

Good question. But what would the Rebbe say?

After all, we all went through the system, and we all saw how the classrooms were run… Many of our teachers came to our school as a waiting room for shlichus. Once they had a shlichus, they left.

True that all this has mostly changed. Today there are many courses for mechanchim, and many curriculums have improved. But we are still stuck in the school we went to, and our image of a teacher is the teacher we had…

Is there a way to change that? Maybe. But maybe the teachers should show more of their work to the parents. Maybe this will change the old outlook.

Thanks in advance

Sure. They can do whatever they want. The question is what the results will be.

Does he also tell the musician how to play or the doctor how to operate? Chinuch is both a skill and an art, and should be left to those who are capable.

This is not about teachers’ rights (though those are also sometimes violated). This is simply about creating quality chinuch.

Dear teacher, don’t forget that this board or vaad you’re complaining about is the same vaad that is paying you and ON TIME!

Did you forget when the schools where always behind in salary?

Now that has changed, and you are now getting paid on time. So be happy and appreciate it.

Yes, the ones that have money, will have an opinion. Welcome to the world.

Because I was never a teacher I can’t have an opinion?

Thank you. Teachers really need to make a demand for it.
Lehavdil in other schools, the Chol teachers have everything made for them on a silver platter. They just have to do a little preparation (familiarize themselves well with the knowledge) and then teach it.
If the Teachers will make a Machoah, the Principles would get together and make it happen.
Its unbelievable that in some schools, the principles get so demanding and critical when they don’t even provide the teacher with anything!
Its actually they who are at fault. It is their responsibility to support the teacher in this way.
Point being, not looking to blame the principles, but they should not be criticizing the teacher when her lesson is not up to par.
Everyone in our Chinuch system is stretching themselves, principles and teachers, which is unbelievable, maybe someone reading this would like to turn this into their life Shlichus.
I dont know who could do it, but its a least important to recognize what needs doing. If you are reading this, and yourself or you know someone who would be able to do this would be a Bracha for Klal Yisroel.

Interestingly, my best teachers, where the ones that showed love and devotion.

I recall Rabbi Katzin a”h. His smile and warmth is still with me till today.

On the other hand, I recall other professional teachers who had everything nicely prepared, yet there’s nothing that really effected me.

So I guess you have point

Wow. So true. Never looked at it this way.

They have many opinions, but literally have zero clue what the struggles of a teacher are.

It’s similar to marriage; marriage isn’t an Amazon company, where everything has to run smooth. Marriage needs devotion and love. Everything might be running smoothly, but with no love and devotion, there is no marriage.

It seems that some mosdos are focusing on running a smooth mosad, and not focusing on the heart and soul, which is the real part and success of the mosad.

Why not?

Great point! How do we get this started?

Agree. However a Melamed does not and should not under normal circumstances “retire” at 65.

WOW

Personally, I was raised in crown heights to go on shlichus, and did so. After a few years and few kids later it fell apart. A friend approached me and offered to take me in to his growing business, I was really considering it. Something inside me told me stay in Klei Kodesh, I did something I never thought I would, I approached eigene mosdos for opening in chinuch. While Im not at the same exact mosad, it is now 17 years later and Im still in Chinuch and love it.

To the struggling mechanchim and to those considering it, I can only share a few of my own experiences:

Somehow, Im not sure how, but we managed to buy a house, BH (we are both children of mechanchim and large families).

How a mosad treat their staff, each mosad has its issues and cultures, none are perfect and the same applies to the corporate world. Power struggles, jealousy, kindness and support are found and lost in ALL organisations/corporations.

Our children deserve and need good dedicated mechanchim, just like any child on Shlichus.

The feeling you get walking into shul, seeing a yungerman davening or learning, and remembering, how when he came into your class in elementary school, struggling with Ivre, and he left your class teitching a few pesukim and an improved Ivre. And seeing where he is now. That feeling cannot be substituted, knowing you saved this kid from……..

There is so much more to say on this, we are still in golus the world is not perfect, the other side of the grass is not greener. Chinuch is a most gratifying and necessary PROFESSION, if you care about the Rebbe and His children, they need you.

One other thing being a mechanech did for me and my family. I learned what teachers put in to their talmidim, and how much it means to a teacher to get a small token of appreciation or even a thank you email. I have started to express greater appreciation to my children’s teachers, understood them better, they understood me and my children better. We went from a mosad bashing family, to a mosad thanking family, use your imagination to think of the ripple effect.

I feel one of the main reasons there are teacher shortages (and i was a teacher in an anash school for quite a few years) is that there are almost no professional curriculums for Kodesh subjects.
That mean when teaching a girls high school for example, its not just the teaching that one has to do, the hours of endless preparing is huge. To walk into a classroom properly prepared with a lesson that will engage your entire classroom takes enormous amount of work.
It would be time, that a Chinuch office would be instituted (similar to JLI) that will provde textbooks, lesson plans, powerpoints, everything needed and rest assured many many people will reconsider being teachers.
It is extremely difficult to give a high quality class and thats why many teachers are getting deterred.
If there would be a Chinuch Office pumping out textbooks, teacher manuals on all subjects, Chumash, Halacha, Tanya, Sicha, Mamer, Tznius, many more teachers would be able to teach.
Its almost impossible to research a subject throughly, then create a lesson that is proffesional, and do that on a frequent basis and keep it up. Its very hard and not many people are able or willing to do that anymore.
We need to help provide all teachers with all they need so they can just focus on knowing the material and then walking into a classroom and giving over the class. Instead of also having to focus on preparing.
This includes incentives, prizes, This Chinuch office should also have things availible for all teachers, instead of each teacher having to invent the wheel him or herself, with all resources necessary.
If someone would take upon themselves to do this, it will save the Lubavitcher Chinuch.