CYRE Teacher Page
Thank you for your interest in being a volunteer teacher in our religious education program. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions:
Do I have to teach every Sunday? No, in fact we don’t recommend it. You will be teaching with a team of 4 adults who rotate responsibilities in the classroom. With 4 teaching Sundays per month, you can expect to lead once a month and assist once a month.
How much preparation is involved? When you are lead teacher, you can expect about 1 hour of preparation time. A curriculum with suggested lesson plans is provided. Katie, the Director of Religious Education, often emails suggestions for the lesson planning, too. When you are the assistant teacher, you will have no preparation time, you may just “show up” and be a support.
How many kids are in a class? Currently, we have between 6 and 12 children in most classes. Occasionally, there are more or fewer.
Should I teach my child’s class? Many parents do, but some choose not to. Each family dynamic is different. We know that some children are very proud of having a parent as a teacher, and they are good helpers. For some children, it is too hard to “share” the parent. Talk it over with Katie to see what might be best in your situation.
Do I have to be an expert? No, the curricula are very thorough, and you receive support for teaching from experienced teachers and from the Director of Religious Education. In fact, one of the best ways to learn about UUism is to teach about it at a child’s level! Because so many families come to us seeking a liberal religious education for their children, we can’t expect the teachers to be experts. The most important thing adults can share is their questioning and openness.
What if I’m not sure I want to teach? Would you like to try being an assistant teacher or substitute, instead, to try it? Since ours is a cooperative volunteer program, we rely on volunteers to make our program run. Your help is very valuable to making our program tick. If teaching isn’t for you, perhaps committee work, holiday help, playground watch and/or snack help would fit better into your schedule at this time.
Please note: RE teachers need to have been an active participant in the congregation for at least 6 months, or be able to provide references from another UU congregation in which they have recently been involved. We have a Volunteer and Staff Application form which teachers, childcare givers and other staff need to fill out before they begin working.
Thanks for your consideration!
For more information:
Contact Katie Erslev, DRE
Tel: 303-665-4280 ×104 (Tues. and Sun. in the office)