(The goal is to complete one trimester per school year.)
Who should take part in Catholic School Teacher Formation from your school?
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Every teacher who is responsible for helping to pass on the Catholic faith to the students.
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Every aide who assists those teachers, especially if they work in any class where religion is taught or where Christian formation is underway.
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Volunteer parents who assist in the religion program.
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School staff who have not recently had any Catholic updating or formation.
Options for Catholic School Teacher Formation
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Flexible combination approach
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Hold two days of in-service in August
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Use two days of in-service during the year
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Replace the annual retreat with one day of Into the Fields
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Teacher in-service days, 5 per year
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two sessions per in-service day
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completes a total of 10 within the year
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Saturday morning
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9 AM to noon, with a light breakfast
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once per month
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ten months of the year (skip July and August)
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One evening during the week
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from after school to 6 PM , possibly with a light supper
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one time per month
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ten months of the year
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August institute
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5 days to complete one trimester
Getting started with teacher formation
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Much of the work for organizing teacher formation falls to the school principal, religion department head if you have one, along with the pastor.
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At first, it seems as though more work will be on your desk, but in the end, with better prepared teachers, your work will be reduced significantly.
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They will feel more confident teaching religion in the classroom.
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More teachers will want to keep teaching from year to year.
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You can count on trained teachers for more help in your school.
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They become a key part of your team
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They encourage others to obtain more formation.
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The overall quality of your program rises and you become a more truly Catholic school!
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Step one: make the commitment!
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Step two: call on us at 23rd to help you!
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Step three: schedule formation in your calendar
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Choose the meeting schedule that works best in your school. Most principals will invite teachers to one three-hour meeting per month, ten months in the year (skipping July and August), or to five in-service days per year.
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We tend to ask for too little; we must ask more of our Catholic school teachers!
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Many teachers dearly want training.
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You wont have everyone involved, but if you wait until everyone is ready, youll never accomplish this.
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Invite youth ministers, catechumenate team members, marriage prep folks, baptism preparation folks, and others working in catechetical ministries in your parish to take part, too, along with the parish catechists.
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Work closely with the catechetical program in your parish. Why not include all the teachers and catechists in one formation process?
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Keep your pastor informed as you go!
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Step four: recruit your teachers one by one for this formation
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In fact, one three-hour training session per month is not asking very much.
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Budget to pay for the materials as a parish.
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But ask the teachers (or others) to pay for the CEUs from Loyola
University New Orleans. For more on this, click here.
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Remember, that YOU must be the first one to believe in this!
