Accessible Learning

Participating in the TAP program has completely adjusted the way I approach challenges in the religious school classroom, and in the greater classroom of our lives. When the Director of Education at my synagogue, Germantown Jewish Centre, reached out with the opportunity to become a more educated, open minded person, I knew right away that TAP would lead to lots of personal growth and knowledge. In the religious school classroom, I enjoy working as a madricha, and I recognize the unique opportunity I have to communicate with students as someone slightly closer in age to them. The biggest challenge I faced this year turned out to be working through small disruptions, and not allowing them to derail class in a larger way than necessary. TAP taught me that all behavior is a type of communication, and it becomes our responsibility as future educators to recognize that not all languages are verbal. Recognizing this is how we make learning spaces an accessible environment.

Recently, I found that a misconception I had always thought to be true was false. The idea that older children are able to communicate their needs in better ways than younger children fails to address the idea that children, no matter the age, are constantly communicating with us. We just need to be trained on how to decipher their communication, which I learned through TAP. When we find out what kids are saying, it becomes easier to face the root of the problem, leading to a smoother classroom and more learning. This logic allows us to build deeper connections with our students and community, making them eager to learn each week.

Out in the world, I recognize how the lessons taught in TAP apply to my everyday life. When I’m doing everyday tasks, I can gauge my reaction to different situations. This forces me to consider things on a deeper level, looking past the surface. I can be a better friend to the people I care about, and teach them the skills I had the privilege to learn about. When one of my friends feels upset, I can help her work through the reason she is acting out, and figure out how to prevent it from happening again. I also learned that the different people require different solutions, and that is completely okay. Some people need time to cool off, and some people need to address their problems immediately. The same goes for methods of learning. Accessible learning opens doors to everyone, because we all deserve the same opportunities, even if they don’t happen through the same method.