Participating in Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ’s Educator Mission to Berlin and Krakow was one of the most meaningful professional learning experiences I have had. Traveling to places that hold such significant historical value will help me personalize the content I teach each year. Visiting sites of Jewish life, both past and present, provided lessons on resilience and culture, which is something I was not as familiar with and did not include as much in my current lessons. I specifically appreciated the balance between historical education and cultural exploration; walking about the Kazimierz neighborhood in Krakow and ending with Shabbat at the JCC.
The value of this trip for me, however, was the opportunity to meet educators within my community. The conversations during memorial visits, meals, and reflections on the bus helped to deepen my understanding of both the history we we’re learning and the ways we can incorporate these lessons into our classrooms. Learning with colleagues from different grade levels, school types, and disciplines gave me new ideas for teaching and ways to approach my own students in my classroom. These connections will serve as valuable resources to exchange ideas and support one another in developing meaningful educational experiences for our students.
I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this mission. The lessons I learned in Berlin and Krakow, the relationships I built with fellow educators, and the perspectives I gained will continue to influence my teaching.