Lively Learning by Shirley Burns
You Want Me To What?!
My mind was racing after she asked the question. I had successfully dodged the question lo these many years, and suddenly there I was. Our Parish DRE stood before me, having just asked if I would teach Religious Ed beginning next term. The first thought that came into my head was, "No, no, no it ain't me babe. It ain't me you're lookin' for." The second thought was, "I gotta do better than quoting Johnny Cash for an answer, especially if I'm gonna say no." I found myself agreeing to give it some consideration, with a promise to let her know the following Sunday.
There was nothing to consider, really. After all, I had no teaching experience and there was nothing in my background that qualified me to be a teacher of religious education. The excuses were already fresh in my head.
Sure, I am a 'cradle Catholic'. BUT I haven't had any catechism training since I went through "CCD" myself.
Sure, I have a couple of college degrees. BUT they are in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics, as far away from Childhood Education or Theology as one can get.
I have 3 children and a business. SO I'm already too busy.
Yet I could not say "no" so easily. You see, the problem was, those were the same excuses I had just used a few months earlier when our family was going through the decision whether to Homeschool. So I knew they were hogwash.
Yes, I had already done the praying and soul searching. I had already listened to encouragement from family and friends who reminded me that throughout the 20+ years I spent in the IT industry, I never backed off from a challenge; that if I channeled my energies into our children and our business, the results would be amazing. I had already learned that having an open mind, a willingness to learn, and trusting in God were all that were required to get started. I could fill the gaps with a mentor, training, and experience.
So in theory, this challenge should be no different. The big difference was that in the case of our family decision, I had started with the "calling" from my heart and followed with the justification to my head. This time I had the justification for my head. Could I hear a "calling" for this? Did I need to? I sure felt like I needed one -after all, it's pretty daunting to think about teaching the beliefs of our religion to young children. aren't we tinkering with immortal souls here? (Oh the drama).
With that Johnny Cash tune still stuck in my head, I went to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for inspiration. Right away in the prologue I found:
Whoever teaches must become "all things to all men" (1 Cor 9:22), to win everyone to Christ. (CCC, Prologue, 24)
Ok, not helping here! I'm already intimidated. looking for encouragement, remember?
And later, this:
Whoever is called "to teach Christ" must first seek "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus"; he must suffer "the loss of all things . . ." (CCC, 428)
Still not helping!
I googled. I read articles. I read blog entries. I found a great one called Catechist's Journey with a post that week that seemed written directly for me: " Top Reasons To Become A Catechist." It presents reasons such as "you will grow in your faith," how the children "more than ever, need to encounter good role models of faith," "you'll be challenged," "it's your job," and others.
Well, that's getting closer at least!
Oh yeah, and I prayed and I searched the Bible for inspirational verses. A lot. And I felt better. I wish I could tell you "the" verse or article or prayer that did it for me, but there isn't one. All I can say is that when the next Sunday came around and I had to give my answer, I said "yes." It was my turn to come out from under the bushel basket.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. (Mt 5:14-16)
Saying "yes" wasn't by any means the end of my fretting or angst ~ hey, that's ok, I like to think it keeps me focused on His way and not mine ~ but it sure was the beginning of something truly wonderful.
Even though I may yet be considered a rookie, I have already learned a tremendous amount and can't wait to share it with you. I hope you will enjoy reading stories of my own growth and experiences in teaching Religious Ed. Here you can expect to find a heavy focus on creative ways to engage the children in the lesson (activities, readings, crafts, etc) - focusing on how to make use of the materials provided by the DRE and materials one can find on the internet, etc. I will provide as many tips, ideas, and anecdotes of my experiences as can be tolerated and invite you to share your anecdotes, results, and ideas as well!
[© Shirley Burns 2008]
Bio
Shirley is a homeschooling mom with three children from Jacksonville, Florida. She is an IT Systems Development Manager by profession, where her nearly 25 years in the industry led her to specialize in optimizing teams, process, and productivity. When the children’s study schedules permit, she also works with her husband in their family business.
Shirley is also a relatively new teacher of Religious Education in her parish. She likes to teach in a lively, eclectic manner with lots of hands-on activities for the children. She blogs about her class adventures at spredsafari.blogspot.com.