The RE journey that I’ve just begun is challenging but also exciting. As a Science teacher, I had been constantly amazed at God’s marvellous work while teaching scientific concepts and processes. The evolution of the existing Universe from a single point after the Big Bang, the development of the foetus from a single zygote to a beautiful baby, the amazing coordination of the various body systems and the untiring efforts of the body parts including our heart and brain are some examples of God’s glory.
How wonderful it is to know that all three (and more) important branches of Science work together harmoniously in the human body; Physics (movement, forces, energy), Chemistry (respiration, chemical digestion, chemical nature of enzymes, hormones) and Biology (flow of life through cells, tissues, organs and systems).
The time has now come to change my focus. I now realise that it is important to inspire the heart as a religious educator while also instructing the mind as a science educator.
All educators, especially religious educators will agree that each one of us has been given the gifts to change the lives of the young people we serve. Are we endeavouring to become the best religious educators we can be?
While reading Jared Dees book, “31 days to becoming a better Religious Educator”, I realised that there is so much to learn and a lot more to apply. I take this opportunity to share some important points from this thought-provoking practical guide.
In his book, Jared talks about the four roles of a Religious Educator. What are my roles?
First, I must be a better disciple. I must follow and learn from Christ. Then, I must be a better servant. I need to set aside my own desires to serve others. If I succeed as a disciple and servant, I become a better leader. These three roles – disciple, servant and leader – all help me to become a better teacher.
Jesus, the Master Teacher is our role model and we are called to imitate Him.
What should we do to excel in these roles? Here are some tips from Jared…
We can become a better disciple by recalling our ‘Calling’ as a Religious Educator, recognising our relationship with Christ, imitating our Master Teacher, spending more time reading the scripture and writings of Saints and improving at least one prayer habit.
To become a better servant, we are invited to identify our students’ top needs and biggest strengths. Getting to know our students before or after class, writing a note of praise to a struggling student, complimenting a parent about their child and praying for our students are ways that will help us become better servants.
All educators are leaders but we are aspiring to become better leaders. Are we willing to eliminate the time-wasters, update our classroom procedures and rules, articulate the vision for our classroom, practice giving positive, constructive feedback and give students ownership over certain tasks. If so, we are on the verge of becoming better leaders.
Here’s the main role that creates the connection between the content, students and the real world… the role of a teacher. How can we become a better teacher? We need to write out why the lesson is important, state clear learning intentions, simplify our lessons, plan and assign projects efficiently, incorporate creativity into our day, learn to assess without a test, liberate students from rigidity, review lessons from the past, visualise a lesson in action and most importantly, become a witness.
At St Luke’s, we are blessed to have some passionate and practising Religious Educators. The statement, ‘Young people are moving away from God’ is a myth. It is a privilege to work with and coach some passionate young teachers in both Stage 3 and Stage 4 who already have a thirst to perform the four roles effectively. Together, we will provide opportunities for our students to encounter Christ so their lives will be transformed.
Experiential education is the right response to the changing needs of this modern world. Our goal goes beyond the head. We must also engage our students’ heart and train their hands so that they reach out to the world by being attentive, intelligent, reasonable, responsible, contemplative, empathetic, humble, loving, present, active, compassionate and effective individuals. The dispositions from CEDP will drive the new RE curriculum and serve as essential prerequisites for ‘Faith Formation’ and ‘Teaching and Learning’.
The water level is comfortable now but we are expected to launch out into the deep. With HIM, everything is possible!
Pause - Ponder - Progress 