Teacher difficulty

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CilladeRoma said:
If parents (or whomever the child lives with) don’t see a need for religion in their lives, nothing I will do will help to change that for the kid.
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That’s the exact opposite of my experience. I went to confirmation with rich kids. Several were doing it because they were promised new cars. The good deacon decided to step up. Answer questions. Be what the kids needed.

90% of my Lifeteen group–and an overwhelming majority of the ones I helped at–were made up of teens who had parents who didn’t care. Many were Catholic parents who thought their teens were being ridiculous for wanting to attend Mass every week. It was VITAL that all the CORE (adults) were willing, able and ready to defend the faith and answer questions–or be able to answer questions from resources. It was required. Yes, some voulenteers were put off that they had to do this, but many more stepped up.
CilladeRoma said:
Judging by the attitudes on this thread, I now know what catechist burn-out is so high.
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Perhaps if we had less frustrated catechists we’d have a better understanding of the crisis at hand. It’s almost like when people who don’t know how try to help someone with a neck injury or a seizure. They can actually make things worse. Recognizing this is not wrong.
 
Well, your experience is the complete opposite of mine.

I have spent nearly 500 hours over the past 2 years educating myself in an effort to be an effective catechist.
I spend nearly 10 hours a week finalizing lesson plans, finding information and creating all sorts of things to engage my kids. Some of them, yes, they are engaged. Most want to know why this is important. How do you answer that? If their parents and other family don’t think faith is important or take the time to engage their children, how do you think I am going to make an impression, I am a stranger. Someone who father asked to teach. The see me in Church, as I am a fairly active volunteer, but to them, I am just someone who makes it so they can’t sleep in on Sunday.

Maybe, if Catechists had a little more respect, and a little more help, and parents who are also willing to learn and practice their faith, things would be better.

But it seems that it’s just easier to throw those who are actually doing under the bus when they need to vent, I guess.
 
I was a Catechist for 2.5 years, and I have been in education since 2010. The lower secular society sinks, the worse the truth looks to those poisoned by that very society. Diluting that truth serves no one, in fact that has been done to various degrees by a few Bishops and Clergy in various places, and it has only made things worse. We have all seen that, we have all talked about it here and on the forums.

Even in secular society, when people compromise their positions to satisfy popular views, they end up washing away the very bases they stand on. A good example of this betrayal in my opinion is the Democratic Parties latest stand on abortion. At one time there was room for various opinions and ideas in that party, now they have made it plain to their moderates that there is no longer any room for anything but far left views, effectively pushing many loyal Catholic Democrats out the door. Even Cardinal Dolan has been lamenting this latest move. Republicans are gravitating to the right in response.

It is a mess. All the more reason to hold the course. None of this should come to a surprise to Catholics, really to any Christians. The Bible foretold this from the very beginning

**2 Timothy 3:1-4 **
**But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,.

So as always with these storms, the answer is NOT to allow the waters of secularism to continue pouring into the boat, to make us appear more level with the sea of society, but to continue to hold the course, and bail the polluted water out of the boat.
 
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CilladeRoma said:
Well, your experience is the complete opposite of mine.

I have spent nearly 500 hours over the past 2 years educating myself in an effort to be an effective catechist.
I spend nearly 10 hours a week finalizing lesson plans, finding information and creating all sorts of things to engage my kids. Some of them, yes, they are engaged. Most want to know why this is important. How do you answer that? If their parents and other family don’t think faith is important or take the time to engage their children, how do you think I am going to make an impression, I am a stranger. Someone who father asked to teach. The see me in Church, as I am a fairly active volunteer, but to them, I am just someone who makes it so they can’t sleep in on Sunday.

Maybe, if Catechists had a little more respect, and a little more help, and parents who are also willing to learn and practice their faith, things would be better.

But it seems that it’s just easier to throw those who are actually doing under the bus when they need to vent, I guess.
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I voulenteer with helping teens in Lifeteen. I’ve worked many an overnight retreat putting in countless hours.

The vast majority of Lifeteen teens do not have a supportive home environment. Maybe 1 in 10 have parents who actually want them to be there. I’d say 4 in 10 have parents who don’t care either way, 4 in 10 have parents who think their children are acting odd and 1 in 10 has a parent who aggressively tries to stop them (always a non-custodial parent)

I am a stranger to these teens–especially when I’m at retreats as I don’t go with the group, I go in other roles. And many of the teens who attend those had no desire to go at all–forced because of confirmation or other reasons. They can be mad but many will open up and be challenging. They want to know you believe what you say you do. Even the shy ones will get into it in a crowd.

Then again, they often don’t see me as a stranger. They see me as a representative of the Church. And, if as a representative I present myself as uneducated, uneasy, tired and worn they are going to be affirmed in their belief that being a Catholic is something to dread.

Being educated is important.

I’m not saying parents aren’t important. Undoubtedly they are the most important.

However, it’s not hopeless once you get past that. What I’m saying is that someone who steps into the role of catechist should be willing to learn or to find the answers that the teens want. Someone who is unwilling is a danger to the faith. Teens see myself and other CORE as interchangeable, so we each need to have a passion for the Faith.

Maybe Lifeteen is just a better program than what you’ve been handed.
 
LifeTeen is not something that our new Bishop likes.

We have 2 parishes in the diocese who have been LT for a long time, and he allows it to continue, but we have been told that there will be no new LT in the diocese.

I teach Confirmation. The same Bishop changed our Confirmation program to a 2-year program that does not start until 8th grade. We have guidelines for what needs to be covered and have the choice of 4 different texts. We can supplement with things from a pretty restrictive list of additional resources.

I don’t think anyone is saying it is hopeless, but it is thankless sometimes.
@religionteacher123 came here looking for support and answers, and all this thread has managed to do was bash him.

If you have a great program in your diocese, that’s wonderful. Not all of us are so lucky.
What we need to do is support each other, not tear each other down.
It’s hard enough to teach kids and parents who don’t want to be taught, we don’t need our peers in catechesis discounting our struggles and experiences just because they don’t match our own.
 
CilladeRoma said:
LifeTeen is not something that our new Bishop likes.

We have 2 parishes in the diocese who have been LT for a long time, and he allows it to continue, but we have been told that there will be no new LT in the diocese.

I teach Confirmation. The same Bishop changed our Confirmation program to a 2-year program that does not start until 8th grade. We have guidelines for what needs to be covered and have the choice of 4 different texts. We can supplement with things from a pretty restrictive list of additional resources.

I don’t think anyone is saying it is hopeless, but it is thankless sometimes.
@religionteacher123 came here looking for support and answers, and all this thread has managed to do was bash him.

If you have a great program in your diocese, that’s wonderful. Not all of us are so lucky.
What we need to do is support each other, not tear each other down.
It’s hard enough to teach kids and parents who don’t want to be taught, we don’t need our peers in catechesis discounting our struggles and experiences just because they don’t match our own.
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That’s unfortunate about your bishop. Very much so.

It sounds like you have a leadership issue. The last thing catechists today need is to be so restricted that they cannot get good answers for the students. Honestly, perhaps a walk-out of teachers and catechists is in order, or an appeal to the archbishop.

If you cannot do your job, if you don’t have permission to use the resources needed to ensure students are being answered, if you believe that you can’t do anything because you’re not a parent, then you should bow out.
 
religionteacher123 said:
I am just wondering if others feel this way that changes should be made? Or what are your thoughts?
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Absolutely not.

Instead of wanting to conform the Church to a godless world, we ought to choose the better part and help the godless world to be sanctified by the Church of God.

Heretical ideas like women priests can never be supported.

I’m not saying you support these things, but your post gave me the impression like you may be flirting with the idea. Not good. Stand fast on the Orthodox Faith, be bold in your zeal for orthodoxy.

Heresy can never be compromised with. Heresy should be crushed into oblivion by the Rock of Christ, which is His Body, the Church.
 
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Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
If you cannot do your job, if you don’t have permission to use the resources needed to ensure students are being answered, if you believe that you can’t do anything because you’re not a parent, then you should bow out.
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Where did I say or imply this?!

Why are so many trying to put words into my mouth?

Really, I don’t understand some of these responses.

I love what I do for my parish. Just because I love it, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t stress me out sometimes, which is why I have a group of other catechists that can vent to each other.

As far as my Bishop is concerned, it is his job to see that children are catechized. He noticed that many were not during Confirmations when he first got here. That is why he changed the program.

I don’t have to like it, but it what he wants, and what he expects of us. We have already lost many catechists because he has put a mandatory 15 hours of continuing education in as a requirement, as well as asking catechists to sign a “statement of fidelity” to him and the Church. He is not doing anything wrong, per se, so there is no “going over his head”.

And with that, I am out of this thread, it is just making my blood boil!
 
CilladeRoma said:
Where did I say or imply this?!
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Upthread you stated
CilladeRoma said:
Nothing I ever do will make any difference if faith is not nurtured in the home.
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Then you went on to elaborate how it is not supported at home in any way.

Most posters agree with that…a large part of the issue is that parents don’t care. However, if someone feels that cannot make a difference unless parents care they have no business teaching.

As far as “going over” the bishop’s head…I’d do it a million times over to keep Lifeteen and other materials in the hands of CORE and other adults.
 
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Teens need to be encouraged to be faithful for themselves as at that age you don’t tend to do something because your parents think it’s cool.
 
CAF has just become a cesspool of people who just want to argue.

It is a fact that if children see their parents do something, they will see the value in it.
If parents don’t see a value in it, most kids won’t either.

I know I have touched some of my students, and that is why I keep doing what I do.
I also know, that I will never reach all of them, that is just a fact.
I do what I can for the kids. I am planting seeds, but they need to be nurtured and cared for, or they will die!

As far as you and your Bishop @Xanthippe_Voorhees, well good for you!
And just how has that worked for you?

I have a pretty good relationship with my Bishop. I don’t always agree with him, but he is the head of my diocese, and I owe him some loyalty.
And, BTW, he has the authority, no Archbishop or even the Pope would do anything to stop him, as he is really doing nothing wrong.
 
My bishop has never forbidden a USCCB approved program. As much as I like him, that would not fly with me.

I can only go off of words that you stated.If you want to clarify yourself in post #73, that’s all well and good. I don’t disagree with you. But that’s not what you initally stated.
 
It is what I stated, and I stand by that statement. Nothing I will do will ever replace the faith being nurtured at home. THAT IS A FACT!
That is why, when couples get married and have their children baptized, we require that they TEACH the faith to their offspring.
This is not always happening, and if the parents don’t care, the kids won’t, and nothing I will do is going to make a difference.
Now, maybe for one or 2, I can make a difference, which is why I do what I do, but in the end, the parents are steering the ship. Period.
 
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CilladeRoma said:
Right. Nothing I will do will ever replace the faith being nurtured at home. THAT IS A FACT!
That is why, when couples get married and have their children baptized, we require that they TEACH the faith to their offspring.
This is not always happening, and if the parents don’t care, the kids won’t, and nothing I will do is going to make a difference.
Now, maybe for one or 2, I can make a difference, which is why I do what I do, but in the end, the parents are steering the ship. Period.
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My dioceses has restored order…which means that we confirm very young. It’s been only a few years so some places are still confirming teens. To come to Lifeteen a teen has to want their faith. They have to desire it. I think now that they are not “forced” they come in greater numbers. Ironically, I think it’s often because they are learning more than their parents ever did and enjoy that fact.
 
So this means we are comparing apples to oranges.

I am talking about a faith formation program, and I am guessing that is what the OP is talking about also.

In my diocese, LifeTeen is a “youth group” program, not a catechetical program. It is an opportunity for those who WANT it, not a program that they are forced into because Mom, Dad or Grandma want to check off that Confirmation box.
 
We sent a link to this article out to all of the Catechists at my parish.
A very good article.
 
CilladeRoma said:
So this means we are comparing apples to oranges.

I am talking about a faith formation program, and I am guessing that is what the OP is talking about also.

In my diocese, LifeTeen is a “youth group” program, not a catechetical program. It is an opportunity for those who WANT it, not a program that they are forced into because Mom, Dad or Grandma want to check off that Confirmation box.
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Before restored order, Lifeteen was part of our catechetics. The program has only grown since it lost it’s manditory status.
 
Lifeteen is a great tool for evangelizing teens and for turning them into disciples, it is as good or as bad as the CORE team and adult leadership.
 
Sounds like the teacher, as an adult, is drawing conclusions based on the actions and responses received from students.

The opinion was stated to us. Not the students.

My understanding is they’re somewhere in the midst of junior high to high school. Apathy, cynicism, and scoffing is common at that age.
 
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