Mrs. Elana Weissman Earns Doctorate in Education, Expands Role

Dr. Weissman’s doctoral research focused on how to foster a student-centered learning environment through the lens of Chumash instruction. In this environment, students work together with their teachers to direct their learning process through modalities like project-based learning, creating a more personalized approach to education.

Dr. Weissman looked specifically at how this student-centered approach gives students autonomy and maximizes student engagement while still providing both academic support and rigor. She found that autonomous learning and student-centered teaching not only increases students’ understanding of and achievement in their Judaic studies, but also their engagement with it.

“Engagement is the active involvement and psychological investment that a student has in their learning,” explained Dr. Weissman. Engagement includes students’ behavioral, emotional and cognitive learning dimensions, and has numerous benefits, including long-term retention of their learning, and a positive emotional and behavioral experience. That positive experience is the foundation of a strong lifelong Jewish identify and love of being Jewish — a core foundational value of Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School’s mission.

Dr. Weissman has served as the Lower School’s counselor for the past six years. Her role will expand to Lower School Director of Teaching and Learning in the fall of 2019, where she will oversee students' academic, social, and emotional learning, and will work closely with teachers to support best instructional practices.
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Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School

Learning together. For life.
Baltimore’s only Jewish independent preparatory school serving PreSchool through Grade 12.