June 2018
Professional development is a hallmark of the Early Childhood Center. Teachers are always encouraged to continue their learning and enhance their practice. I recently attended a conference with Alison Popky, a teacher in our fours program, who shared the remarks below. — Geula Zamist, director, Early Childhood Center
Above, Shacharit walk at the Paradigm Project Conference with Gabe Goldman. Left, Alison (on right) and Geula find God’s wonder in nature.
I was so fortunate to be able to attend the Paradigm Project 2018 conference, which took place at the Capital Camps and Retreat Center, a facility for the Washington, DC, and Baltimore Jewish federations. The conference theme, “Be the Light,” sparked just about every aspect of my personal and professional development. As a woman, being in a cohort of like-minded, open, spiritual, kind, and passionate people who are so committed to supporting young children and their families was not only a lot of fun, but also an honor. Comradery and cooperation filled every session. As a mentor, I felt nudged to move forward on my own path as a leader. I wasn’t the oldest of the teachers and directors there, but I was far from the youngest. It was exciting to feel the enthusiasm of newer teachers, to lend advice, to cheer them on. I felt a spiritual spark too. When we went on a Shacharit wonder walk, our leader, Gabe Goldman, explained that when we awaken, we thank God for opening our eyes, for our body to be moving, for our systems to be working. We thank God for the sun, the earth, and the animals. What better way to thank God than to find wonder all around us. As we looked at the trees, laden with buds and blossoms, overlooking the valley and the mountains, we felt the awesomeness of God; when we said the Sh’ma, we truly appreciated the wonder that God has given us. The morning after my return, my class went on our biweekly walk to the forest. We found every WOW we could — the shadows from the garden fence, the magnolia blossoms carpeting the ground, the fragrant mint, the birds calling one another!
Plenty of artistic and creative sparks were made through dance and song and many creative activities. What fun it is to get caught up in the joy of creating instead of just facilitating the artistic endeavors of others. Pedagogically, the learning was deep and inspired me to find new ways to ignite passion and interest in big ideas about Shabbat, holidays, and values that are essential to tikun olam and living a life of peace, kindness, and joy. “Being the light” means not only shining but shedding light; we are lamplighters sharing the sparks so others can see more clearly in order to cultivate their own light. I am excited to share this spark with our staff, our children, and our families.
