In this blog post, Rabbi Feld discusses how at the induction stage of teaching, teachers often struggle with an issue called cognitive entrenchment: a state of mind in which you believe you have gained so much knowledge in an area that you begin to take for granted norms that should be questioned. On one hand, this helps the new teacher build comfort, stability, efficiency, and a sense of expertise. But on the other hand, he explains, the “cozy status quo which reinforces its own truths deters the teacher from notions of innovation by challenging assumptions that would benefit the student.”
JEIC’s mission is to catalyze radical improvement in Jewish day schools. As part of this, we realize that all components of the Jewish day school ecosystem—administrators, educators, parents, students, and influencers—must work together in sync in order for positive culture change to occur and become deeply ingrained in the schools.
In light of that, some interesting statistics surfaced in Education Week, two of which I would like to address. Both of these indicate a disconnect between the perceptions of the principals (which includes heads of school and division heads) and the perceptions of the teachers—a phenomenon that can only impede student growth and progress. Clearly, the article is addressing secular schools, both private and public. But Jewish day schools are not immune to these disconnects, and it is worth surfacing and discussing these specific issues.
