Resilience describes the combined psychological strength to cope with stress and hardship while creating an adaptable Plan B. Adam Grant, noteworthy organizational psychologist , explains, “I don’t think there is any skill more critical than resilience.” 

The field of research on resilience demonstrates that intrinsic motivation mechanisms fuel the development of resilience. Embedded in the fiber of Judaism, resilience emerges in many ways through our texts, rituals, and beliefs. 

During the time of Coronavirus, stressors and altered learning platforms require a teacher to inculcate this Jewish trait of resilience more explicitly into the students. Being able to return to normal after, or grow from a negative situation (an aspect of resilience), involves filling the toolbox before the stressful situation occurs. 

Let’s contemplate some of the core elements that support resilience and how we might instill them in the classroom:

Pursue a meaningful goal

We read in Shoftim Ch. 6 that Gideon exemplifies the connection between a meaningful goal and his resilient behavior. When the objective is a powerful enough motivator, barriers, and distractions fade away. Helping the students develop a goal that motivates them through adversity takes knowing the child and pushing beyond the usual classroom motivators like external rewards/punishments. While those prizes or punishments such as grades, the home, or a class party for group success work for some students, others need to feel a strong rapport with the teacher, give clarity, and create personal meaning or mission.

Challenge the norms

In Shmuel 1 Ch. 17. we find that instead of using the usual sword to beat the difficult enemy Goliath, King David uses a slingshot with a rock from the Land of Israel to solve the problem. Creativity and the feeling of pioneering work inspire many to feel significant and victorious over the vicissitudes that bog down students. While Jewish studies require certain boundaries, allowing students to think through issues gives them ownership and a feeling of agency. Giving students micro-research time, looking up an idea of their choice on the internet and reporting out in 30 minutes, produces different ideas to add to the discussion. One could include online concordance or Sefaria list of translated commentaries.  

Work on cognitive flexibility

Cognitive flexibility allows one to think about one’s own thoughts and how to frame an issue. Think of the Torah text (Bereshit 29:17) that declares Rachel was beautiful and Leah had “tender eyes.” How could this be seen as a complement rather than an insult by reference? Making a paradigm shift moves the feeling of control from the problem controlling you to you controlling the problem. It allows an acceptance of the reality while finding a new way to view the issue. Imagine if a teacher sets up a problem and asks the students to rearrange the situation so that the problem no longer exists in the same way.

Use discomfort of the situation as a motivator

We learn in Bereshit/Genesis 40-41 that Yosef uses his time in prison to upgrade his interpersonal tools from asking (in a way that could be construed for a payment) for help from the wine steward to giving over a job description to Pharaoh after interpreting the dream. The distress of situation can provoke one to action either by removing the distress (like quitting or medicating it) or using it as a way to encourage action. The form of resistance to change is good when it comes to maintaining boundaries that function well. When the situation gets concerning or dire enough, one can harness that energy to solve the issue and change one’s tolerance from avoiding to embracing the issue. When a student has a learning barrier, the student can avoid the issue or given the support for resilience to face it.

Act despite fear

Many Jews think of Esther’s action in the face of fear when she resolves to approach the king unannounced in a potentially deadly gambit (Megillat/Book of Esther Ch. 4-5). Courage allows an individual to overcome personal barriers and pursue a full life. This does not mean never having fear, rather one should feel the fear, learn what causes the fear, and, assuming it is not detrimental, do it anyway. Moving forward in the face of adversity makes one stronger. Conquering a new skill means allowing one to feel unsure and fearful of failure. Overpowering that insecurity and learning something new yields a greater sense of confidence for learning the next new skill.

Exert control over one’s emotional state

A good example of this paradigm is Dan LiKaf Zechus, which imagines that bad behavior on someone else’s part could be understood if judged differently (Mishnah Avot 1:6, Rambam Commentary on the Mishnah Avot 1:6, Rabbeinu Yonah Commentary on the Mishnah Avot 1:6, and Talmud Bavli Shabbat 127B). By exercising our choice to see a situation differently, we can change our emotional reaction. When a student exhibits bad behavior one could easily react by labeling a child as unmotivated, attention seeking, or worse. By thinking of a student as lacking the knowledge or skill to deal with the situation and providing that knowledge or skill, a teacher moves from blaming the child for being mischievous to helping the child to become more functional at school. This controls the teacher’s emotional state.

Enable agency

Pinchas and his zealous act to solve a crisis (Bamidbar Ch. 25) exemplifies this element of resilience. One empowers oneself when one acts independently and shapes one’s life circumstances. It ends a feeling of helplessness and produces a feeling of control in a person. By giving students activities that allow them the frame of control, a teacher allows the students to exhibit agency. By creating several choices of ways for a student to display mastery of the material, a teacher gives agency to the students.

Engage in social support

The importance of this element is easily seen in the rules of Bikur Cholim, the descriptions of how a community takes care of a sick person where one can show support and the sick can be supported (Talmud Bavli Nedarim 39b-41B, Bava Metzia 30b, and Sotah 14A and Shulchan Aruch-Yoreh Deah- Ch 335: 1-4). Belonging to a community permits a two-way sense of control. First, emotional support from others causes an individual to work beyond usual tolerances. The availability of social support alleviates stress and anxiety. Second, the relationship allows for a student to feel giving and selfless. This permits the student to experience being the support system instead of the recipient. By orchestrating a gratitude circle, the teacher assigns each student another student to compliment and state something for which the student is grateful.

These eight elements are valuable ways to build resilience when extended online video conferencing stresses out students who love authentic social interaction. The uncertainty of COVID times causes anxiety and insecurity. Deep in our religion we have the seeds of hope, gratitude, direction, and community. We should use those to infuse resilience in our students.