Before the teacher walks into the classroom and prepares himself for the "shiur", his/hers main concern should be: how to promote "affect". The importance of "affect" in education has become a topic of increasing interest in the field of education. It is now a commonly held opinion that curriculum and emotional literacy should be interwoven.

Dr. Sue Roffey (2008) found that an "emotionally literate learning environment impacts on classroom climate and builds a sense of connectedness. This has a positive effect on students’ well-being and relationship with the teachers, which includes the ability to engage in learning and raise levels of attainment. This strategy of stressing affect has the potential to transform pedagogy and relationships in a responsive classroom approach, increasing the capacity for improved learning outcomes. "

In my research (2000) I found that empathy and affection for Talmudic studies were graded higher by students using the methodology of self-learning by means of “Cognitive Maps”, even though they come from a low social and economic background. They are graded higher (in affection) than students that come from a higher social and economic background who study Talmud in a traditional manner. We can assume that self-learning of Talmud promotes empathy and affection for the subject.

Dr. Tzvika Kanarek
Jerusalem