It is inspiring and educational for me to have this topic raised and discussed among such an experienced and knowledgeable group of teachers. Tefillah is a subject that is close to my heart, and the way to teach it in a way that reaches students is the elusive goal of many of us. I have taught Tefillah to adults- not specific Tefillos, but Hashkafos and mindsets that are a foundation for Tefillah in general. A recipe that I find that works well when trying to reach others is to acknowledge the inherent difficulty that exists, but at the same time to describe the ideal goal of what Tefillah can and should be. There are commentaries on the siddur- Rav Hirsh is just one example of an author who painted beautifully with his words what an ideal Tefillah should accomplish- a stepping back from the day to day of living, in order to point our lives in the right direction.
Although I have not taught young students Tefillah on a regular basis, my few experiences doing so have shown this concept to be helpful to them as well. Especially teenagers who are old enough to understand the desire of connection can be taught that, at its core, connection is what Tefillah is all about. And if it does not yet bring them to that feeling of connection, there are ways of getting there: Finding one pasuk, one Tefillah that really speaks to the person, for starters; Understanding that through days and weeks of Tefillah from habit there can come forth a beautiful, shining Tefillah at a time of need; Learning that spontaneous, individual Tefillos go hand in hand with the written words of the siddur; Learning the purpose of the words of the siddur; Dovid HaMelech's Tehillim, as directly connected to the trials and successes of his life, can be used as a model for this approach.
In order to prepare younger students for this appreciation, a model that emphasizes Bi'ur Tefillah (Understanding the Tefillah) in conjunction with a connection to Tefillah should be used. As a mother, I am very impressed with my sons' first grade Tefillah curriculum. They spend at least 45 minutes a day on Tefillah, learning what to say as well as what it means. They also hear stories during davening that are meant to inspire them and make the Tefillos real. I see the results when I daven with my children. For my part, I always try to connect Tefillah to their daily lives, asking them to thank Hashem for the things they like, and reminding them to ask Him for help when they are afraid.
In short, I agree that there should be dedicated time set aside to the instruction of Tefillah. I myself benefited from this in my education, although I didn't always appreciate it at the time. Besides teaching about individual Tefillos and what they mean, the education should focus on how to connect the students, wherever they are in their development, with the force of Tefillah. Everyone has deep desires- whether the desire to feel safe, the desire to feel accepted, or the desire to connect; Tefillah can be connected to these desires in real and concrete ways.
