Ask an Educator – May 2026

Dear Educator,

I’m a veteran teacher of 16 years and I am used to preparing lessons that I present in front of the class. I’d like to try a more hands-on approach, and I’m sure my students would love it. But how do they actually learn the material if I’m not “teaching” it to them?

Dear Concerned Teacher,

That’s a great and very common question. Hands-on or experiential learning doesn’t replace teaching, it redefines it. Instead of being the main source of information, the teacher becomes the architect of learning experiences. Your students still learn the same material, but they do it by engaging, experimenting, and discovering rather than just listening.

Think about how someone learns to ride a bike. You can explain balance and motion all day, but until they actually hop on and wobble down the driveway, it’s just theory. The same idea applies in the classroom. When students learn through multiple modalities, like movement, play, or problem-solving, they enjoy it more and retain it longer.

In math, this might look like creating a pretend store or small business in class. Students would work through real-world scenarios that naturally use formulas they’d otherwise copy from the board—addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, and so on.

In Ivrit (Hebrew), students could bring dolls to act out the possessive forms of bubah (doll): “my doll,” “her doll,” “their doll.” You could even use large printouts of suffixes that they hold up to reinforce the concept during the activity.

Or, when teaching about Jewish holidays like Shavuot, students might create short skits to represent each of the Ten Commandments and perform them for one another.

A common concern about experiential learning is whether it still “covers” the required material. The secret is in intentional lesson design. Start with your learning goals, then design experiences that lead students to uncover those concepts themselves. This can include movement, manipulatives, songs, projects, or simulations of real-life experiences.

Teaching through experience doesn’t mean lowering expectations; it means shifting your role. You’re no longer just a presenter of information; you’re a designer of understanding. It’s not less teaching, it’s a different kind of teaching, one that helps students take ownership of their learning and remember it more deeply.

So yes, your students absolutely still learn, often more meaningfully than before, because they experience the learning for themselves.

For more tips and ideas please reach out to the JES helpline.