It was not our intention to cite in this introduction all references to education in the Torah and Shulchan Aruch, much as familiarity with these sources in today's day and age is essential. The reader is encouraged to delve into these sources himself.

We suggest that the teacher include in his weekly curriculum several lessons in Midrash, as our sages instructed us, "if you wish to learn about the Creator study Aggadah" (Sifre Ekev).  More mature students may be encouraged to learn more by themselves.

At times when the teacher calls on pupils to improve their behavior, his message should not touch solely on punishment meted out to those who misbehave; rather, he should also touch upon the Jewish soul's elevated stature, its nearness to the Almighty and superiority even over Angels. For even if chastisement may yield a fleeting improvement in the child's behavior, in the long-term this approach distances the child from us. But focusing on the value of the Jewish people allows the teacher to chastise pupils while still producing positive effects.