Meet the Chinuch Shlucha:
Mrs. Devorie Blasberg
First-grade Judaics teacher at Desert Torah Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada
Tell us about how you got into teaching.
I grew up in Crown Heights, and since ninth grade, I have spent my summers as a counselor at both sleepaway and day camps. Without realizing it, that was probably the foundation for my excitement in Chinuch. In my high school yearbook, my friends wrote that I was most known for thinking about my campers all year. I would spend the months of the school year preparing Shiur booklets for my campers. I never thought of that as Chinuch or teaching, but looking back, that’s essentially what it was.
After Seminary, I spent a year running Bnos Chabad programs at Bnos Menachem High School, my alma mater, and then served as a first-grade assistant teacher there. After marriage, we lived in Crown Heights before moving to Boston on Chinuch Shlichus for three years, where I worked in Hebrew school. Later, we moved to Las Vegas, where I became a first-grade Judaic teacher, and my husband was a middle school teacher and later the principal. We’ve been here for eight years.
How do you create an inclusive environment with students of all backgrounds?
Desert Torah Academy, run by Rabbi and Mrs. Shea and Dina Harlig, is a day school that has students of all different levels of observance. I create an overall loving and safe environment in the classroom, as well as a loving environment towards Yiddishkeit, so that all students feel excited about it. When students know more, they serve as a mini Shliach to help their friends by sharing information during circle time or assisting with a specific project. It’s a beautiful learning environment, and together it feels like one big happy family.
Give us a glimpse into your classroom.
My classroom is a good balance between structure, where we follow our routine and schedule, and excitement, where the lessons come to life. For example, we study the “My Jewish Home” curriculum, discussing mitzvos that can be done in each room of the home. Afterwards, students tour my house where they see a kosher kitchen, Mezuzos, and seforim. For Elul, we dressed up as farmers in a field, and my husband came in dressed as the king. Or, after finishing our Moshiach curriculum, we put candies on the tree in our classroom. Structure is very important, but so is bringing things to life.
Can you share a story of impact that happened in your teaching?
Last year, my students were decorating graggers before Purim, and a student named Yaakov asked, “Morah Devorie, when am I going to put the neshama into my gragger?” My heart sank because I realized he must have misunderstood the point of the neshama I had taught them about the week before. So I asked him what he meant, and he said, “You know, the little beads that go inside to make the gragger come to life.”
I realized he actually understood exactly what a neshama is. A neshama is a part of Hashem that is drawn down into us; that gives us life and energy. Without it, we are just skin and bones, lifeless. Like that lifeless gragger without the beads, it has no purpose. It was so precious to hear a boy from a not-yet-frum family connect what he learned to understand that his gragger didn’t yet have a “neshama” to bring it to life.
Who do you look to for Chinuch inspiration?
I attribute my teaching skills to my grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Goldstein, also known as Uncle Yossi. Whether it’s storytelling, which he was famous for—since he inspired so many Jewish children through his radio program way back in the day—or the attention I learned from him to give to each student. I feel blessed that he passed that down to me.
How do you deal with challenges that come up in the classroom?
I try to anticipate challenges early by reading students’ body language at the start of the day. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a student misplacing something, having a bad hair day, or a parent leaving town. A quick chat and validation often resolve issues. At times, I use positive reinforcement with challenging students. If additional help is needed, I will coordinate with the principal to develop a plan, which may include a sticker chart, daily parent check-ins, or outside behavioral or academic support.
Tell us about your life outside of school.
I enjoy biking, sewing, and spending time in nature. Near Las Vegas, there’s plenty of nature, and we often go on trips to Zion, the Grand Canyon, Red Rock, or Mount Charleston. We’re lucky to be able to be here to enjoy it.
As a busy mother and teacher, how do you manage a work-life balance?
Mrs. Rishe Majesky, who was my principal at Bnos Menachem (and now in Phoenix), would always say that a mother’s number one Shlichus is her family. It is the benchmark I use for how much I can give to my Shlichus. When I keep in mind that I’m taking care of my family first, it allows me to also fully be there for my shlichus as well. Pivoting is totally okay – some years allow for more involvement, while others might require a bit more focus on family or personal needs.
Any final message on chinuch?
My message to parents is to show genuine interest in what your child is learning. Let them come home excited to share, and that will give them excitement in what they’re learning. The second thing is that parents are partners with teachers. We both ultimately want to help each child reach their potential. We need to work together in order to get there. We’re on the same team and we have the best interest of your child in mind.
To fellow teachers, I would like to bring out the message that we don’t always get to see the fruits of our labor, but we need to know and believe we are having an impact. Years ago, my husband planted a tree in our yard, and we are finally able to enjoy the fruits. It’s the same way with Chinuch.
