TORONTO — Jennifer Taylor’s senior kindergarten students at Bialik Hebrew Day School look forward to Shabbat, not only for the weekly classroom ritual celebrations and singing, but because every week, one of the children gets to take home “Challah Baby.”
Challah Baby is a soft toy stuffed with cotton and braided by Taylor’s 93-year-old grandmother, who every year makes one doll each for Taylor’s morning and afternoon classes. Taylor adds the eyes and bits of wool for the mouth and hair.
Children count down the weeks until it’s their turn, said Taylor, who introduced the idea into her classroom about five years ago, after attending a professional development day session on Shabbat programs.
Every week, Challah Baby goes home with a different student in a Shabbat Box that also contains ceramic candlesticks (made by Taylor), a kiddush cup, a CD of Jewish songs, and a Challah Baby journal that each child contributes to in turn.
The journal is filled with reports and pictures of Challah Baby’s activities over the weekend, not just as part of celebrating Shabbat (one entry noted that Challah Baby had met a “real challah”), but taking part in family activities over the weekend.
One entry that particularly moved Taylor was from a parent who wrote, “This was the first time [my child] asked to say the [Shabbat] prayers.”
Taylor’s experience with the project has reinforced her belief that family and school form a team. “The more you foster it, the better the connection is, and the more pride children have in their learning,” she said.
She encourages parents to be active in their children’s education, and to know what’s going on in their lives.
For her entire 12-year teaching career, Taylor – a 35-year-old mother of two and a graduate of York Mills Collegiate, the University of Western Ontario and York University, where she obtained her bachelor of education degree – has worked at Jewish day schools.
“It’s what I grew up with, and what I feel connected to,” she said.
The former Associated Hebrew Schools student has been at Bialik for nine years and still regards her Grade 3 teacher at Associated, Sharyn Hurwitz, as her “biggest mentor.”
Taylor recalls becoming enamoured of teaching as a student in Hurwitz’ class. “Her whole attitude, and building self-esteem and confidence in learners – I love bringing that into my class.”
One way Taylor does that is with “special awards,” which she gives out when she catches students in the act of doing things such as cleaning up nicely or listening well.
She finds that the awards motivate her students, as does her end-of-class VIP circle, where students express appreciation for virtues of the “very important person” of the day, who also is assigned a particular job to do.
“It builds confidence and self esteem,” Taylor said. “You know that you have a group of friendship and chevrah in class.”
Gaining students’ trust and respect, and being approachable, are key to Taylor’s classroom philosophy.
Outside of school, on one of her maternity leaves, Taylor co-authored the 2003 book Nannyhood: A Guide To Activities And Positive Interactions With Babies & Young Children, with her friend Elisa Garay. They also developed a series of workshops for caregivers of young children, although Taylor is no longer actively involved.
A lesson from the teacher: “I truly believe that family plays such an integral part in a child’s learning, and that it is so important to keep the connection of family and school life together. When you have that connection, everyone benefits. Parents are their children’s biggest advocates and cheerleaders.”
