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Darlene
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Mon Dec 18th, 2006 04:55 pm |
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Hello Everyone,
I ask that all of you who read this post pray for me that our Heavenly Father directs me in regard to my vocation. I still desire to teach, but more and more, as I have been substituting in the public school system, I am having stronger doubts that this is the way I should go.
I sent away for an application in the Allentown Diocese which is in Pennsylvania. I think my next step is to send away for an application in the Scranton Diocese as well. Both are about the same distance from my home.
I need to get a written letter of recommendation from my pastor. Pray that he will be willing to do this, since he is an Evangelical. I don't think there will be a problem, but one never knows. I also intend to ask my former pastor, who is a Reformed Baptist minister, to write a letter of recommendation for me as well. I know that he thinks the Catholic Church is way off the mark, but that doesn't mean he won't write me a letter of recommendation. Pray that he does as well. (The Catholic Schools require a letter of recommendation from a pastor or priest, which surprised but delighted me. Their standards are stricter than the public school system)
I feel the Lord impressing upon my heart more and more that this is the direction I should take. I realize that the pay is not near what it is in the public schools, but my desire is to teach in a teachable environment. Having already taught in the public school system, I know how stressful it can be. The pay was not worth the threat to my health and sanity! And to follow the Lord God's will for my life is of the utmost importance to me at this juncture.
If this is meant to be, then pray that God lines everything up in the proper order. As David once said, "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places." (somewhere in the Psalms) If this is not the Lord's will for me, please pray that I am prevented from succeeding on this path.
The hardest part of all of this is that I just want to use my degree and preferably in teaching. It is so hard to wait in the interim, wondering what it is that I will be doing/am supposed to be doing.
I thank you all in advance for your prayers. It is at times like these that I actually covet (in a good way) others' prayers and believe in them more than my own.
Love in Christ,
Darlene
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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mrsbmoo
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 307 |
| First Name: | Becky | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | former Methodist. RCA, Presbyterian, Holiness, Wesleyan... Catholic as of June ... |
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Posted: Mon Dec 18th, 2006 05:43 pm |
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| That sounds like a great idea, Darlene. My daughter who is a High School Junior in the area Catholic school has several evangelical teachers, so it is not unknown even here in Jerry Falwell's Baptist stronghold.
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Becky
Wife of Michael(called Moo) and stay at home mom to 5 daughters between 10 months and 17
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Incognito
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| Joined: | Wed Dec 27th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 19 |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | |
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Posted: Fri Dec 29th, 2006 01:20 pm |
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mrsbmoo wrote: That sounds like a great idea, Darlene. My daughter who is a High School Junior in the area Catholic school has several evangelical teachers, so it is not unknown even here in Jerry Falwell's Baptist stronghold.
That's allowed? Hmm.
And how would I deal with most likely being more Catholic than the Catholic teachers? Seriously. (based on the sorts of things I've read on Catholic blogs)
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birdstrike
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| Joined: | Wed Dec 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 8 |
| First Name: | Birdstrike | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Christian Science - Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Dec 30th, 2006 05:50 am |
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Incognito:
When I came into the Church, I was stuck with the state of it. Easily, I see as many enemies within as I do without. But immediately after that observation was the thought: "Of course - where else would the evil one strike?!" God's Church! Think of the prize! Regarding so-called Catholic schools, I hear many horror stories, and each one has to be analyzed very carefully.
Darlene:
I'm a government (so-called "public") school teacher currently. I have my Master's degree in Education, have founded an educational research association, and write occasionally on educational issues. I also monitor/moderate a teacher-abuse web forum (you'd find it if you looked).
It might sound radical, I admit - but I think that the way we fob our children off to an institution to be raised as we do today borders on child abuse. Perhaps you've found, as I have, that each child simply needs far more love and individualized attention than a mass-production layout can provide. When one looks into it, one finds that sending our children off for this much time, and at such young ages, is a phenomena that dates back only about 150 years (ironically when literacy peaked in this country, having declined ever since). Should you need any resources in this regard, feel free to let me know. Currently, I work on the fringes of the government system with a homeschooling charter school. But as far as the mainstream widget-factory goes, I wouldn't work there. I think it's wrong.
I do find myself drawn to Catholic education, particularly in the older years, when children need to leave the home. The government schools are actively anti-christian, and an environment where you can freely teach in a manner consistent with your worldview will be far more rewarding and effective! But many so-called "Catholic" schools are anti-christian as well, and even those who tout faithfullness to the Magisterium can be abusive to their underpaid employees (this is the case in my area). Some teachers do seem to luck out - but more often than not, teaching is a tough business! It's a bit of a scam that plays on us would-be nurturers, I must say.
I'm sorry to post such a depressing perspective. Shoud you choose the government school route, perhaps your experience will be different - I'll be happy to be wrong!
But the Good News is, as a deacon friend of mine always says, that God will never place a hunger in your heart that He will not satisfy. If the desire you have is not from your ego but from God - and it clearly sounds like it is - He will lead you to jobsite He has chosen for you.
And, just to assist the process, I'll pray for you! Not that we need to worry, mind you: Your good result is already prepared, so I'll simply pray that the inevitable happens sooner rather than later, and that He stays near to your heart on the journey.
May God Bless you and show you the way clearly,
Birdstrike
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birdstrike
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| Joined: | Wed Dec 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 8 |
| First Name: | Birdstrike | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Christian Science - Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Dec 30th, 2006 06:17 am |
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Oh, and P. S.:
I agree that your evangelical friends should have no trouble recommending you; the resume should touch mostly on your talent and integrity. Make sure to coach them on what you want (and make sure that you know what your prospective employer wants too, if you know who it is!); it wouldn't even be out of line for you to write a rough draft for them to go on.
One last tip regarding recommendations:
Employers in the edbiz speak in code to one another. Anything less than a rave review is, generally speaking, worthless. In particular, a shrewd reviewer will see any equivocal or ambiguous "praise" as a red flag. For instance, the phrase "If you have any questions or concerns regarding Joe Blow, feel free to call me . . ." usually means that there was a problem, and the reviewer is invited to call and get the "real" scoop over the phone privately - if the reviewer is still interested, of course.
Best Wishes to you! I'll go away and pray for you now. . .
Birdstrike
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heardclarke
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| Joined: | Mon Apr 9th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 199 |
| First Name: | Lisa | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | cradle Episcopalian; confirmed RC Easter 2005 |
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Posted: Wed May 9th, 2007 01:39 am |
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Dear Darlene,
I don't know whether you are still looking into teaching in a Catholic school, but my experience was very positive from the beginning. In fact, the Catholic schools where I have worked and the people I have worked with are the number one reason for my conversion.
I started out teaching first grade. Another first grade teacher taught my class religion. I taught her class social studies. I asked if I could take Communion at school masses, but the answer was "I'm SO SORRY but there is no way we can do that." I swallowed my pride (I was an Episcopalian) and worked there for five years. I learned a lot about teaching. I left when my daughter was born. I was 32.
Wanting to return a few years later, at 38, I found there was a new principal who didn't want to hire non-Catholics. (Another principal shared this with me in confidence after I said I just couldn't understand why they wouldn't take me back.) I checked out some other schools and discovered the one where I work now. The principal was 34, very orthodox, a firm believer in teaching "the classics" yet creative about the curriculum. We were "kindred spirits," and I ventured to ask whether I could teach religion (under any circumstances). The answer was "I already asked....There's only one way, and I'm not about to tell you whether you should do it. It's a family decision." But I knew by then that I wanted to join the Church anyway. I told him I was thinking it over.
After teaching Spanish for two years, since I couldn't be assigned a homeroom class, I decided to take the plunge. By this time my friend had moved on to another school; it was the fact that my interest in the faith remained, even after this, which convinced me that it wasn't going to go away. The first year after my Confirmation was the hardest. I was still teaching Spanish and going to Mass alone (my husband worked in the ECUSA and supported my decision privately but not publicly). I believed I had done and was doing the right thing, for my two kids if for no other reason; but I prayed, "God, this is hard to do alone. Why have You brought me this far? What is next?"
What happened next was unbelievable. My new principal said I could teach 2nd grade; I accepted gratefully but hoped I was ready and would do a worthy job (we have First Coimmunion in that grade). Then the cavalry arrived! My husband hired a new assistant at his job who just happened to be from the same Episcopal university I had attended, had had my same favorite English professors, and who was not only a new Catholic but a candidate for the priesthood. Furthermore it turned out that these awesome professors of mine had also joined the Catholic Church just a few years earlier. Suddenly it looked like I wasn't so alone after all. I was introduced to the Coming Home Network, First Things, Fr. Corapi's great lectures, and my new favorite author, George Weigel.
I will always want to teach Catholic school. My mom runs a non-denominational Anglican-flavor school in a city five hours away. I could move down there and make more money. My 2 kids would attend free. But I want to keep doing catechesis. There's nothing like it. You can't imagine what it feels like to have a second grade boy say, "I want to tell Jesus that I love Him and thank Him for the Eucharist and that I want to follow Him" or even "I think I'd like to be a priest." It is amazing what the kids will say and do given the chance. The responsibility of being their teacher is both scary and utterly delightful.
So, if you are still thinking about teaching Catholic school, find a good one and try it. It's been great for me!
Lisa
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Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
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tedjenczewski
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Richmond, Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 263 |
| First Name: | Ted | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Presbyterian, revert Catholic |
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Posted: Thu May 10th, 2007 10:15 pm |
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| May the love of our Lord Jesus Christ uphold you and sustain you during your search.
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"...the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." 1Tim 3, 15
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5347 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Thu May 10th, 2007 10:24 pm |
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tedjenczewski wrote: May the love of our Lord Jesus Christ uphold you and sustain you during your search.
Hi, Ted, welcome to the Coming Home Network. We're glad to have you here with us. We look forward to hearing your faith story when you're comfortable sharing it with us. Meanwhile, we'll do our best to answer any questions you might have, and invite you to dive right in and join any of our conversations.
Once again, welcome home. We're glad to have you with us.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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tedjenczewski
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Richmond, Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 263 |
| First Name: | Ted | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Presbyterian, revert Catholic |
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Posted: Fri May 11th, 2007 12:19 am |
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| Hi, and thanks. I have always held the Catholic Faith but attend a PSA church now because my present wife (my former wife is deceased) is PSA and will not seriously consider conversion to "the Faith". I am considering returning to the Church without her as I am finding it increasingly difficult to tolerate reformation theology. In the meantime. I read a lot of literature and books from CHN and watch EWTN. I especially appreciate CHN's work as it has given me a strong scriptural basis from which to discuss the Catholic faith with my protestant friends, who of course believe "sola fide and sola scriptura". Catholic education in my era was based upon "the teaching of the church"; the biblical basis for that teaching was not really mentioned or emphasized. Thus we were poorly prepared to defend the faith against the protestants who are much better able to quote scripture. God bless you.
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"...the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." 1Tim 3, 15
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