Observances & Rituals:
Rabbi Yossi Kenigsberg
In the next few days, the summer season will conclude and teachers and students will return to their classrooms to initiate a new academic year. Most educators and children arrive with a renewed sense of optimism and an invigorated display of positive energy.
Yet, before too long, for some teachers and students, school can quickly transform into a toxic environment that can be a painful experience for educators and children. Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, a prolific author, psychiatrist, and spiritual leader often discusses this issue in his more than 42 books. He maintains that an individual's success in life is primarily dependent on possessing a healthy dose of self-esteem.
A frequently occurring malady in the teaching profession is burnout. Dr. Twerski defines this syndrome as the feeling of carrying a load greater than one is designed to handle. This would be similar to an overused electric filament that burns out if used inappropriately or excessively.
Educators who display extraordinary care and concern for their students are particularly vulnerable to burnout since the emotional investment they offer their students is often not returned. This can result in a state of chronic frustration. When a person's self-esteem is fragile, his or her academic, emotional, social, and professional success is in jeopardy. The evil inclination seeks to destroy and disable us by enveloping us in distorted images of negativity. These unwarranted feelings of inadequacy are destructive and lead to burnout.
One of the primary methods of achieving positive self-esteem is by pursuing a life of spirituality. As Jews, our journey toward healthy self-esteem requires commitment to Torah. We live in a society, however, where pursuit of pleasure has primacy and people are generally disappointed when they realize the temporary nature of the pleasure they are seeking. This hedonistic embrace can quickly spiral out of control.Our mission is to reject this decadent lifestyle and transmit a message of spirituality to our children.
Students are also susceptible to burnout. If a child feels a lack of belonging in the classroom due to academic or social challenges, his or her self-esteem will suffer. The educational institution has a responsibility to ensure that each child has a sense of attachment and connection to the classroom milieu.
As we begin a new school year and simultaneously approach the High Holy Days, let us resolve to focus our endeavors on inculcating in our children authentic Torah values and saturating them with opportunities of spiritual significance.
I recently heard the following perceptive comment: "If you want to predict the future, first you have to invent it." As parents and educators, we do not have control over the final outcome of our children's achievements and accomplishments. We do have the ability to proactively design their educational, social, and spiritual environment so that their potential can be maximized and their self-esteem preserved.
Rabbi Kenigsberg is an educator who lives in