BEING a Teacher Teaching as a vocation as

BEING a Teacher … Teaching … as a vocation … as a profession. . . as a ministry

. . . as a vocation a calling to which the teacher responds ü witness in word and deed ü “It is not sufficient simply to care about professional updating in the strict sense. . Catholic educators need a ‘formation of the heart’: they need to be led to that encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others. ” (Educating Together in Catholic Schools, 2007, nn. 24, 25)

Vocation: – ‘vocare’ - ‘to call’ “Their [vocation] is a calling and not simply the exercise of a profession. ” (The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools, 2006, p. 53) Any authentic call ultimately comes from the voice of the teacher within, the voice that invites me to honour the nature of my true self; the voice of identity and integrity. It says things like “ This is what fits you and this is what doesn’t”; “This is who you are and this is who you are not”; “This is what gives you life and this is what kills your spirit”. (Adapted from Parker J Palmer, The Courage to Teach, 2007, pp. 30, 32)

. . . as a profession ü high quality pre-service education ü appropriate and equitable remuneration ü opportunities for in-service education ü collaboration with colleagues in professional associations ü a degree of autonomy and accountability ü responsive, service orientation “One of the fundamental requirements for an educator in a Catholic school is. . . a solid professional formation. Poor quality teaching. . unavoidably undermines the effectiveness of the overall formation of the student. (Educating Together in Catholic Schools, 2007, n. 21)

. . . as a ministry ü bringing students within the life of the Church ü preparing students for service in the Church and the world ü assisting students to engage meaningfully in Church liturgies, service programs, prayer celebrations and opportunities to share and nurture their Christian faith

Teaching with Authority The ministry and vocation of teaching draws its inspiration from Jesus, the one who taught with authority: “ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. ” (Mark 1: 21 -23) His teaching was AUTHENTIC RELEVANT GROUNDED IN PRAYER AND SPIRITUALITY His teaching offered a VISION OF HOPE He WITNESSED TO WHAT HE TAUGHT

How best to characterise the work of a teacher in a Catholic school? Teaching that … a ‘ministry’ is AUTHENTIC Is RELEVANT offers a VISION OF HOPE a ‘vocation’ is WITNESSED by who I am and what I do is GROUNDED IN PRAYER AND SPIRITUALITY a ‘profession’

REFERENCES • Congregation for Catholic Education. (1988). The religious dimension of education in a Catholic school. Homebush: St Pauls Publications. • Congregation for Catholic Education. (1998). The Catholic school on the threshold of the third millennium. Boston: Pauline Books and Media. • Congregation for Catholic Education. (2007). Educating together in Catholic schools: a shared mission between consecrated persons and the lay faithful. Strathfield, NSW: St Pauls. • Miller, J. M. (2006). The Holy See’s teaching on Catholic schools. Strathfield, NSW: St Pauls Publications. • Queensland Catholic Education Commission. (2008). Queensland Catholic Schools and Curriculum. Brisbane: Author • Ryan, M. (2006). Religious education in Catholic schools: An introduction for Australian students. Ringwood, Victoria: David Lovell Publishing.