The “Blenda” Class Story
A few years back, I was between jobs when a friend mentioned he might be able to help me get me a teaching gig at a private. I don’t have a degree — I actually dropped out of high school — but I’d spent years teaching myself various technical skills like basic coding in Python so I knew I could at least teach them what I knew. Private schools don’t always require certifications, so I figured it was worth a shot.
I brushed up on Python, interviewed with the outgoing computer teacher, and got hired for the next semester. I made a lesson plan and laid out fun creative coding projects to last me through the year.
If you’re unfamiliar, a Yeshiva is a very strict Orthodox Jewish boarding school — no cell phones, no video games, no girls. Of course, the students found creative ways around those rules. Within a few days I realized these kids were out of control — smoking in the hallways, skipping class, always pushing limits. I one day mentioned to them that my Mom was raised Jewish and in Judaism if your mother is Jewish to them you are Jewish regardless of your preferred faith. After learning that, I probably became their favorite teacher, outside of religious classes which consumed most of their day, none of the other teachers were young or Jewish. Now I respect all religions and I’m interest in my moms Jewish heritage but I was baptized and raised Catholic through my Dads side of the family and I don’t feel much of a connection to my “Jew roots” but It did feel cool being called a Rabbi. Anyways, The few serious students got bored of making simple pointless Python programs, and I knew I had to come up with something fast before I lost everyone completely.
Enter Blender.
It’s technical, creative, runs on almost any machine, and feels a bit like a video game while secretly teaching you valuable real-world skills. By the way, this school had less laptops than students for each class and they were beat up and/or outdated. Oh yeah, they also don’t have internet access. I came in early one morning with a USB drive and installed Blender on twenty-something ancient, half-broken laptops.
Suddenly, my class had the best attendance in the school. Even the kids who never showed up before were excited to learn anything involving 3D. Some got shockingly good at it, and even those struggling were engaged because they saw the connection to video game design and animation, which they have limited access too.
Then came parent-teacher conferences halfway through the year. Some parents flew in from across the country and even Israel. I couldn’t exactly tell them their sons were spending class hours building primitive shape cities and sci-fi scenes, so I described Blender as “a 3D CAD software used for teaching physics and spatial design.” They loved it. They said their kids were finally excited about learning and many even handed me nice bonus checks, continuously thanking me for keeping their kids engaged in class.
Everything was going perfectly — until the next day.
The head Rabbi called me in and said, “Mr. ShakeyCG, I don’t know about this Blenda stuff anymore.” Apparently, one parent wanted their kids learning Python instead and saw no use in Blender or 3D design.
So, back to Python we went. Attendance dropped back to three or four students, and by the end of the year, my time there was over.
Still, it’s one of my favorite stories and taught me a lot about learning and even gave me insights into myself as a student. A reminder that creativity and curiosity can spark real engagement — even in the most unexpected environments.
-ShakeyCG
