Instructor's Final Comments
“ I would like to offer one more comment, based on my experience as an instructor of Hebrew teachers in training. Whenever I teach a methodology course, I dedicate one lesson to teachers, students, teaching, and learning as they present themselves in Hebrew culture from Biblical times to the twenty-first century. I find it particularly compelling to note that Hillel the Elder, a sage who lived in the first century BCE, was known for having said that "a shy man cannot learn, nor can the impatient man teach" (Mishna Avot 2:6); that Maimonides, the 12th century rabbinic scholar, interpreted Talmudic discussions to suggest that "twenty-five children may be put in charge of one teacher. If the number in the class exceeds twenty-five but is not more than forty, he should have an assistant to help with the instruction. If there are more than forty, two teachers must be appointed"; and that biology teachers in Palestine under the British Mandate were among the most active Hebrew language teachers and innovators, having coined and revived many of the Hebrew words pertaining to the local landscape, flora and fauna.
As we endeavor to establish our own communities of practice, be they culture specific or global, it is very helpful to remember that our discourse did not begin with us or our contemporaries, and that most of the issues that occupy this discourse have been around for centuries or even millennia. In a culturally responsive and responsible environment, it behooves us to listen to what history has to tell us. I thank you for joining me in this discussion, and wish you all the best! ”