Teachers, Know Before Whom You Stand: Training Educators to Confront Pedagogies of Presumption

Abstract

This study examines a professional development initiative designed to help Tanakh teachers surface and reflect on their assumptions about students’ beliefs. As a researcher and facilitator, I guided a cohort of five experienced educators through a structured process of inquiry, which included student surveys, teacher journaling, group reflection, and two rounds of interviews. Drawing on Jackson’s concept of the “presumption of shared identity,” the study investigated how making teacher assumptions visible in relation to student perspectives can prompt reflection and open pathways for professional growth. Findings, based on teachers’ own reflections and perceptions, indicate that this process fostered conceptual shifts, encouraged more inclusive pedagogy, and supported richer classroom dialogue. The study highlights the potential of research-informed professional development to help teachers navigate ideological diversity in Jewish education.