Empowering Educators: Leading with Love

Chanie Hertzel

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the late chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, once stated: “Good leaders create followers, but great leaders create leaders.” Today, the students are our recipients, but tomorrow, they are going to be our leaders. Gemilus chasadim, doing acts of kindness, is a core tenet of Judaism and one of the three pillars outlined in the Mishna: namely, that without Torah study, avodah (effort), and gemilus chasadim (outreach), the world would not be able to exist. These foundations are integral for a school to flourish and create the next generation of leaders.

In a typical business model, there is a traditional top-down hierarchy: CEO, assistant managers, and employees. However, when it comes to chinuch, the model is flipped. The teachers aren’t there to service the principals and administration; rather, the leadership staff and educators work together within their respective roles to create a dynamic where students are able to thrive.

In my role leading an online school, I face the challenge of helping our teachers and students feel connected and supported. At our school, we prioritize showing love and care to our teachers to create a supportive environment. By providing warmth, love, and positive feedback to our teachers, we create an atmosphere that positively impacts our students. This then leads to strong bonds and a sense of community among teachers, students, and parents.

Administration teams can help foster this feeling of investment by modeling this culture. When teachers are treated with gemilus chasadim, it filters down to the students. In the scope of this piece, we will focus on methods of incorporating gemilus chasadim, creating a culture of kindness and reciprocity.

Kindness Leads to Productivity

The concept of avodah, productivity, goes all the way back to the Six Days of Creation. When Hashem created Adam, it says in Bereishis, “וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן־ﬠֵדֶן לְעׇבְדָהּ וּלְשָמְרָֽהּ׃”— “He placed Him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to guard it.” People were created not to live a self-serving existence focused on self-preservation, but to work and make the world a better place. Rashi then goes on to explain that “לְקָחוֹ בִדְבָרִים נָאִים וּפִתָּהוּ לִכָּנֵס” — “He took Adam with kind words and induced him to enter.”

Hashem’s first interaction with Adam serves as a powerful lesson for us all: gemilus chasadim is the pathway to avodah. Kindness is the way to instill a strong work ethic in others. When students feel that their teachers care about them, their motivation and performance increase. And when teachers feel that their principals and administration are similarly personally invested in them, the same effect occurs.

The Five Love Languages

Gemilus chasadim can be implemented through different avenues. Incorporating the five love languages , as developed by Gary Chapman, is an effective method to deepen bonds and connect with teachers on both a personal and professional level.

1. Acts of Service — Providing an act of service is a powerful love language because it implicitly conveys recognition of the most valuable resource: a person’s time. For many teachers, preparation can take hours. One example of an act of service is to send teachers a weekly bonus ready-made resource. We provide this in addition to the standard grade-level curriculums that we equip our staff with. From songs to slideshows and activities, these additional resources are related to the parsha or upcoming holidays on the Jewish calendar and are helpful for teachers who want a little extra something to bring their classes to life.
2. Words of Affirmation — Feedback, both verbal and written, validates a person’s positive efforts and reminds them that they are valued. Receiving a positive note or text message from a principal, especially after being observed, is meaningful to any teacher, new or seasoned. At the end of each year, we survey our parents and ask them to share what they appreciated about their child’s teacher. We collect the responses and send it as a card to each teacher in the mail. In the digital age, a good old-fashioned card is a wonderful surprise.
3. Quality time — A feeling of belonging is one of the basic human needs on Maslow’s hierarchy. Spending time with a social group builds loyalty, trust, and a sense of community. Celebrating in your teachers’ personal simchas, and just checking in to see how they are doing, sends a message to them that they are valued beyond their professional personas. Quality time is a great method to implement to help coworkers feel like family. As a remote school with teachers located in several continents, our interpersonal interactions look a little different. We may not be able to physically gather in one room at the same time, but we work to facilitate seasonal regional meetups.
4. Gifts — A gift is a physical manifestation of care. Some people just love presents! Many teachers express this love language towards their students, going the extra mile to purchase prizes and end-of-year gifts for their students. Administrators can offer a gift in the financial realm by reimbursing them for these extra expenses and compensating teachers for attending professional development sessions that are outside of their regular working hours. And mail birthday gifts to staff members — every tangible gesture goes a long way.
5. Physical Touch — Being in the physical presence of other people provides a sense of ease and connection. In the workplace, this love language can be interpreted as making sure teachers feel safe and secure. School administrators should maintain comfortable working conditions, ensuring basic needs are taken care of, whether it’s tech support in a remote setting, or lighting, temperature, and classroom furniture.
   

Peer-to-Peer Collaboration

Principals can cultivate a culture of generosity among the staff as well. Psychological scientists who conducted a research study at Stanford University discovered that just the perception of being part of a team dramatically increases people’s motivation and performance. In a series of five experiments, participants who were led to believe they were part of a team displayed greater perseverance and enjoyment when tackling difficult puzzles, despite working independently in both the test and control groups.

A strong alliance between coworkers helps propel greater performance. We give teachers the opportunity to observe their colleagues’ classes and arrange substitutes for those periods so that they don’t have to take time from outside their working hours. School leaders can facilitate teamwork by creating spaces for teachers to communicate and exchange ideas. Our WhatsApp group, “The Teachers’ Lounge”, is a virtual space for our teachers to chat, network and share educational insights with each other. We also incorporate a collaborative approach to professional development with a yearly roundtable session, where every teacher has the chance to share and hear from each other, sharing their expertise on topics they are comfortable with.

Growing the Team

Finding quality staff members is a challenge for every school, and here, too, we find that gemilus chasadim is the pathway to avodah. Prioritizing the well-being of current staff is a key factor in attracting new talent. Many of our teachers have joined our team based on positive recommendations from their family and friends.

Conducting the hiring process with a clear vision in mind is crucial for attracting and retaining competent educators. In addition to technical skills, it’s important to pay attention to personal qualities such as warmth, friendliness, educational expertise, and effective classroom management. But above all, seek individuals with growth mindsets who are eager to innovate and adapt to the needs of remote learners. During interviews, we give candidates the opportunity to showcase their skill by submitting lesson plans for review, demonstrating their ability to prepare engaging online lessons. This approach benefits both parties, providing a chance for us to assess candidates’ skills while also introducing them to our expectations. By the time a staff member joins our team, they already feel like part of the family.

Tending the Garden

What possible “work” was there to be accomplished by Adam in such a lush, perfect garden that was already irrigated and blooming with fruit-bearing trees? The Torah commentator Rabbeinu Bachya explains that the word “לעבדה”, “to work”, is a reference to Torah learning, and the word “לשמרה”, “to guard it”, is a reference to keeping the mitzvos. Hashem entrusted us to take care of His world. When teachers feel entrusted and empowered, magic happens! As Rabbi Sacks so aptly observed, the mark of a true leader is one who can inspire others to lead. The role of mechanchim and mechanchos is to tend the garden of souls, inspiring Jewish children to keep Torah and mitzvos with joy. With Torah, avodah, and gemilus chasadim, every effort in the sphere of chinuch will be fruitful. 

Chanie Hertzel is the principal of the Nigri Jewish Online School, established in 2010. Nigri JOS caters to a wide range of Jewish students from all affiliations across six continents. From homeschoolers to military families, Nigri JOS offers a rich Jewish day school curriculum and provides a warm, inclusive environment tailoring to students’ diverse needs.

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