Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide

Creating a Jewish Environment
The environment of the classroom is truly the unspoken curriculum. Walk into another
teacher’s classroom when no one is in the room. What do the walls tell you? Can you tell
this is a Jewish classroom? What can you learn from the books on the shelf, the way the
art supplies are stored, the food in the house corner? How do you feel, standing there in
the middle of the room? Are you enticed to jump in, play and explore? Do you get a
“hands off” vibe? Does this room belong to the teachers or to the children who live there?
What messages do the colors convey? Would a child with ADHD (attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder) feel over-stimulated? Would a curious child find enough to
capture her interest? Is the message “Jewish Life Happens Here” conveyed by more than
just one bulletin board with Shabbat symbols, hanging unseen since the beginning of the
school year?
Excellence in a Conservative early childhood program begins when the physical
environment of the school and classroom make visible the Jewish life that is happening in
the school. Resources such as the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
can help guide us in creating excellence in the overall early childhood environment; the
following material will just address creating a high quality Jewish environment. There are
ways to support the Jewish curriculum through every area of the classroom. Making good
use of the walls, the supplies, and the materials will help achieve balance and excellence.
The Walls
The walls of the classroom let people know who gathers there, what is going on, and
what is important. First and foremost, anybody who walks into the school, or the
classroom, should immediately know that this is a Jewish place. While we stop short of a
sign announcing, “Jewish Life Happens Here!” we do want that to be the conclusion
anyone could easily arrive at. The evidence of Jewish life must be as much part of the
classroom as anything else, not limited to one or two Jewish books on the bookshelf, and
a bulletin board in the corner with pictures of the Jewish holidays. The walls should
influence the Jewish life in the classroom, and Jewish life in the classroom should
influence the walls.
Some tips and suggestions:
• Posters and art work should reflect different kinds of children and families,
Jewish, Israeli, and secular scenes.
• Photographs of children and families in the class, engaged in Jewish and
secular activities, can be color photocopied and enlarged into posters at any
office supply or copy store. Laminate the best ones – it’s cheaper than buying
posters and more relevant to the children.
• Consider how the walls reflect the emerging Jewish aspects of the curriculum.
Make sure the walls change often to reflect the ongoing life of the class, and
can serve to teach parents what their children are learning Jewishly. We tend
not to notice visuals that have been in place for a long time.
Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide
Maxine Segal Handelman
USCJ Department of Education
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