What does Shaarei Chinuch mean?

The month of Kislev is here, and the holiday of Chanukah is a few short weeks away. Chanukah has the same etymology as the word Chinuch, education, and it is an opportune time to reflect on what Chinuch is all about. When we founded the school together twelve years ago, we chose the name Shaarei Chinuch, translated as Gateways of Education. Since each child is a unique individual with their own set of strengths and interests, each child has their own unique gateway or path to their education, and should be given the opportunity to learn in the way the works best for them. 

Upon deeper exploration, there are two other translations of the word chinuch: 1) Chinuch literally means inauguration, which suggests that the ultimate objective of a teacher is to initiate a student on the path of lifelong learning. For, ultimately, to quote Socrates: “The purpose of education is not to fill a vessel but to kindle a flame. 2) The word chinuch is derived from the word chein, which means charm or rapport—referring to an invisible bond, an emotional connection and mutual appreciation, that should exist between the teacher and student. The essence of the teacher-student relationship and the internal work of the teacher is to connect to his student. In this sense, a more accurate translation of mechanech, teacher, is a connector. This indicates how deeply relational meaningful education truly is. 
-Mushky