Apr 20, 2020
INTRODUCTION
In an effort to pool the wisdom and experience acquired by our contributors’ work in the classroom, In geveb regularly polls Yiddish instructors on topics related to Yiddish pedagogy. In our Loyt Di Lerers series, we compile ideas and best practices for teachers who teach Yiddish, teach about Yiddish, and teach with texts from Yiddish sources. The responses to these polls offer a cross-section of the opinions, approaches, and experiences of Yiddish instructors from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, from children’s programs to university classes to continuing education courses, from new teachers to those with a lifetime of experience.
In our Loyt di Lerers series, we have previously gathered teachers’ thoughts about Yiddish textbooks, Yiddish clubs and reading groups, the Holocaust in Yiddish classrooms, Yiddish in Holocaust education, and more. Given that many of us are now sheltering in place and limiting our face-to-face interactions, this opportunity to share our ideas and experiences with Yiddish pedagogy has become even more important.
With a resurgence in Yiddish interest coinciding with declining institutional support for language instruction, a number of teachers are now conducting classes through alternative means, such as community organizations, synagogues, and even privately, both in person and online via Skype, Zoom, or other platforms. We are interested in learning about the strategies instructors employ, and the challenges they face, when teaching Yiddish language in multiple formats and contexts. We therefore invite you to share with us how you adjust and modify your teaching depending on the setting. The questions in this survey have become more immediately pressing as many of us who have not previously taught online unexpectedly modify our courses due to the global coronavirus pandemic. We encourage thoughts from those who are newly adapting to new pedagogical needs as well as those with earlier experience in multiple settings.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with the In geveb teaching community. Please note that you don’t have to answer every question in order to participate! Feel free to choose the questions you find most relevant. We expect that many of the questions below will not apply to all respondents, and we appreciate any thoughts, ideas, or information you are willing to share.