Setting the Vision: The Calling of the Christian Teacher in the Twenty First Century World (original) (raw)
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South African teachers are confronted with a plethora of stressors on a daily basis. Often their experience of having a calling to teach is silenced by the realities they have to face. Becoming more aware of the presence of God in their classrooms might turn them into practical theologians. This in itself does not eliminate the factors that cause stress, but it becomes the driving force that keeps them coping in times of duress. Through a constant migration between theory and praxis within the habitus of practical theology, the academic discourses about teachers and about calling are explored. This specific context creates a moment of praxis where they can explore their identity as Christian teachers and their endeavours to create schools driven by their calling. The realisation that they are practical theologians has a profound effect on the different relationship-spheres in which teachers function. Thus they become empowered to be the hands and feet of God in their classrooms and, in turn, serve as agents of hope for their learners and for one another. The human face of reform Many researchers (Brown & Roloff 2011; Collie, Shapka & Perry 2012; Strydom et al. 2012; Vos et al. 2012) have described the occurrence of the loss of hope and the prevalence of stress and burnout in teachers. Bubb and Early (2004:8-13) identify the following as the main causes of stress amongst teachers: excessive administrative work, assessment, poor planning and communication within schools, excessive workload, low morale and lack of motivation, inadequate control and guidance from the Department of Education and concern about salaries. Olivier and Venter (2003:186) report similar results and also list a lack of discipline, unmotivated learners, larger teacher-learner ratios and the new curriculum as significant sources of stress. Cox (in Travers & Cooper 1996:143) reports that educational change is a major source of stress amongst teachers and adds that it is 'not only change, but change on change beyond the control of most educators that is the cause of stress'. Throughout the term of three different Ministers of
Educating Others: A Vocation Promoting Meaning, Purpose and the Universal Apostolic Preferences
2021
Teaching as discerned vocation in urban Catholic schools has the potential to provide a far-reaching, integrative space for enacting the Universal Apostolic Preferences. This research explores the reflections of 31 novice teachers, enrolled in the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC), a Jesuit university program in the northeast. This program supports the development and formation of novice teachers through graduate education, living in community, full-teaching responsibilities in an urban Catholic school, mentoring, coaching, and professional development. Teachers completed an online interview that elicited responses about what it means to lead a life of meaning and purpose and the factors that contribute to leading a life of meaning and purpose. Responses illustrated intentionality and planning with the aim of leading a life that was beyond-the self. Finally, the Universal Apostolic Preferences of “Walking with the Excluded” and “Journey with Youth to Create a Hope-filled Future” r...
Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal, 2021
Teaching as discerned vocation in urban Catholic schools has the potential to provide a far-reaching, integrative space for enacting the Universal Apostolic Preferences. This research explores the reflections of thirty-one novice teachers, enrolled in the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC), a Jesuit university program in the northeast. This program supports the development and formation of novice teachers through graduate education, living in community, full-teaching responsibilities in an urban Catholic school, mentoring, coaching, and professional development. Teachers completed an online interview that elicited responses about what it means and the factors that contribute to leading a life of meaning and purpose. Responses illustrated intentionality and planning with the aim of leading a life that was beyond-the-self. Finally, the Universal Apostolic Preferences of “Walking with the Excluded” and “Journey with Youth to Create a Hopefilled Future” resonated in all responses. Findings suggest that teaching as a discerned vocation in urban Catholic schools offers a far-reaching space for enacting integrative Universal Apostolic Preferences as teachers commit to taking up this work as vocation. Furthermore, the space serves as a model for evangelizing students, families, and communities to take up this work.
The Vocation of Teaching: Themes and Models from the Presbyterian Tradition
Teaching Theology and Religion, 2002
Historically, the Presbyterian/Reformed tradition has placed a heavy emphasis on education and has honored teaching as an important vocation. This paper begins to explore insights and models that tradition offers to help teachers clarify their calling. The article discusses five themes in Reformed theology and how these themes play out in an educational context, providing examples from one Presbyterian college. The paper concludes by suggesting four ways to think about pedagogy in Presbyterian institutions that are both consistent with Reformed principles and practical in their relevance to teaching and learning.
The Christian Post-Secondary Teacher's Vocational Task
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This paper on infusing a Christian approach into college teaching argues that the traditional definition of teaching is narrow and harmful, that the methods a teacher uses are content themselves, that some methods are more consonant with Christian principles than others, and that Christian teachers in a Christian post-secondary institution should use methods that represent Christ's model. In a section that looks at why this issue merits attention, the paper points out that teachers in Christian institutions must respond to the societal anxiety over change and fragmentation to offer a strong presence to their students. The argument goes on to look at the practicality of teaching and the powerful role Christian teachers can play in helping students confront their. questions. In particular the paper urges Christian teachers to model Christian content by: building a sense of "family" with students; remembering that students have lives and connect teaching and content with their lives; placing the teaching vocation in the context of the world and acting on it by helping students to see the political questions beyond content; and accepting and recognizing personal gifts and limitations. In conclusion the paper notes that the calling of a Christian teacher requires responsibility, spiritual qualifications, and honorable action. (JB)
On being a religious education teacher: A reflection on discipleship identity
IJRSE, 2022
The study determines the perception of 99 religious education teachers on their identity as religion teachers using Qualitative methods in data gathering. The researcher asked series of open-ended questions, formulated for a class by Dr. Carolina Dionco, to the respondents about their understanding of what a religious education teacher is all about, what are the challenges and difficulties of being a religion teacher, and the possible intervention in addressing the identified problems. Upon close examination and inductively interpret the responses, three categories were determined to systematically capture the essence of the responses-vocation, rootedness, and formation. The respondents have a strong conviction that being a religious
Teacher Spiritualism: The Vocation Within
Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies, 2016
Ancient civilizations adopted an early education system that included religion as an integral part of its focus. For this reason, priests, monks, and other people of faith, were trusted with the important task of educating their community and instructing them in the values, beliefs, and norms of their society. As time passed, public education continued to evolve to keep up with the societal demands to the point that education and religion were not longer connected. Simultaneously, professionals in the education field have also changed and educators are no longer required to be people of faith. However, considering that the mission of education has remained the same, it would be unrealistic to consider teachers as unspiritual individuals regardless of their religious beliefs and affiliations. This paper explores the idea that educators are innate spiritual individuals who strive to perpetuate the norms, values and virtues of their society. In addition, this article presents the concept of teacher spiritualism as a contemporary reality of our teachers and our educational system.
THEOLOGICAL EDUCATORS – THEIR LIVES AND WORKS
The question of Identity often occurs when either the products of a supposed individual are at variance with the societal expectations, or when the quality traits of a known character are fast becoming scarce that novices are contented with aberrations. Identity here would mean a thorough exposition of the qualities of the ideal theologian in the pedagogic process, for reconstruction purposes. Theology, a one time ‘queen of all the sciences’ has in recent past become an object of global ridicule. Personally, it is the theologians who have the audacity and the expertise to dethrone or enthrone theology! This they do through their lives and works. Bible characters such as Jesus Christ, Moses, the apostle Paul and the scribe Ezra have enormous didactic messages for the theological educators in the areas of personal testimony, instilling of discipline, creation of beneficial learning experiences, discipleship, guiding and guarding students in righteousness, equipping them with skills and knowledge, replication and amplification of apologetic voices. Recommendations for the achievement of quality in the lives and works of our theological educators involve the enlistment processes of the theological educators, prerequisite training, improved curriculum for theology, stakeholders’ supervisory role, routine monitoring and evaluation, theological educators’ development and motivation. Key Words: Theological Educator, Pedagogical process, Identity, Qualities, Lives and Works Word Count: 200
Four Religious Education Teachers: Four Retrospective Career Trajectories
Religions
This article examines the career paths of Finnish Religious Education (RE) teachers who were born in the 1930s, through a retrospective, self-autobiographical life history approach. The material reported here is a part of wider data of mainly written narratives (N = 62) from RE teachers who recount their career trajectories. In these career-focused life histories, the teachers outline their own professionalism as embedded in changing sociohistorical contexts, where to a great extent they tell about the active development of the school and the teaching of their particular subject to answer to the changing needs and challenges. Some teachers have, along with their teaching, also been actively involved in different communities or associations. Many of the Religious Education teachers here reflect on their career paths in relation to their profession as a teacher and often also with double qualifications as pastor trained theologians. At times, this constructs a possibility for tension ...