Is this silly? Private vs. Public schools

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Cajungal

Cajungal

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Hey everyone. This is one of those useless threads wherein I ask for opinions out of curiosity, not because I'm looking to change that opinion. So post if you have any thoughts and would like to watch the lack of progress unfold...

So here's the thing. I had a debate with my father about applying at some of the private Catholic schools as well as trying to get a public school job. I told him I was pursuing lots of things, because I really need a job, but I won't be disappointed if I don't get hired at a Catholic school. Here's why: They mean business. You have to go to Theological development seminars on top of professional development. I'd be forced to go to classes for a church I don't take part in anymore while getting paid less. Also, I don't want to give lip service in their church and pretend... something that I'd pretty much have to do. Dad says that I shouldn't feel bad about taking Eucharist if I know that it's just a wafer anyway. That makes sense, but someone believes it, and I don't think it's right to participate in the ritual if I don't respect it. He says I'm incapable of compromise. I'm totally capable of it... you have to be capable of it to be any sort of teacher. I just would rather not mess around with Catholic schools... unless it's a really laid-back one where they sincerely don't care about your religion. There are a couple of high schools like that, but I could not teach there.

So, I don't know. Thoughts? I know I'm probably taking something that I don't believe in too seriously, but taking people's faith lightly is something that I cannot do. I guess it's because I've been too close to it all my life.
 
C

Chibibar

It boils down to this. How much are you willing to compromise self for your goals? What are your options? If it was me and I really need a job badly (to support my family) I am willing to let go of pride and work any job that I qualify for. Will I work in a place that contradict with my beliefs? If no other options are available there is a good possibility (I rather do that than my family starves) BUT there are certain thing I won't do (which I won't mention) for a job. It may sound hypocritical, but it boils down to your needs vs the people's need that depend on you.
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
That's part of it, Chibi: No one depends on me right now. IF the only job I could get was at a Catholic school and they offered me a position, I would probably take it. I'd go to the seminars, but I wouldn't participate in the Eucharist part of mass. If someone asked me why, I'd just have to think of something to say or be honest. I could always say that I need to go to confession first. It's not really an issue right now, because I haven't been offered a full time job at any of the Catholic schools where I applied. I was just thinking about it today.
 
C

Chibibar

Cajungal said:
That's part of it, Chibi: No one depends on me right now. IF the only job I could get was at a Catholic school and they offered me a position, I would probably take it. I'd go to the seminars, but I wouldn't participate in the Eucharist part of mass. If someone asked me why, I'd just have to think of something to say or be honest. I could always say that I need to go to confession first. It's not really an issue right now, because I haven't been offered a full time job at any of the Catholic schools where I applied. I was just thinking about it today.
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true, but if you do take the job, you may required (being private school have different rules) that you have to attend. If you don't attend, there might be repercussion. So you are willing to do that? You can't avoid it forever.
 
strawman

strawman

It's commendable that you hold the faith and church in such high regard, that you are reluctant to go through the motions simply to get a job.

I know it doesn't look good on the job market out there, but honestly if you get a job where you believe you are disrespecting the faith which holds no meaning for you, and in which you'd have to make some pretense of still believing in and following, it's quite likely that it will push you much further away from the church, and possibly down the side where you start to hate it, yet you'll continue to work there simply because it's a steady job.

Unless you can come to terms with the fact that you'd be playing a part you don't believe in, then you should probably just keep looking.

All that in mind, if you do happen to land a religious school job, it might be worth accepting it with the intention of continuing to actively look for another position elsewhere. I don't know what your current situation is, but if you need a job, then not only would you be getting one, but it would also add more experience to your teaching resume.

Just don't let it get to the point where it harms you or your ability to teach.
 
Morphine

Morphine

I think I'd struggle with that even more than you do right now. I understand compromise but I would need very good reasons to compromise on something like this.
I don't believe in catholicism, I am not even ok with it, I wouldn't want to be a part of something that promotes it and it just wouldn't feel right, I wouldn't feel honest, it's like selling a conviction. It's mostly because I believe one has to put his heart to whatever one does and that would be very hard for me.
If it was just a temporary thing, if I REALLY needed it, or if someone else depended on me and it was pretty much my only choice, then I would suck it up and find a way to do it.
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
Chibibar said:
true, but if you do take the job, you may required (being private school have different rules) that you have to attend. If you don't attend, there might be repercussion. So you are willing to do that? You can't avoid it forever.
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I would definitely go to church with the kids (because that's part of the job). Thing is, I think I could get around participating in the most important part of the mass, when everyone is supposed to take the Eucharist. Most priests will tell you that if you have a serious sin on your soul, you need to confess before you take it. And since confession is a private thing, it's not really something that my coworkers could dig into. I could play the part if I had to, but I would not like it. I know too many good Catholics to feel good about faking being one of them.
 
Fun Size

Fun Size

I think the question really boils down to this: would you at any point be required to wear one of those Catholic school girl uniforms? If that's even a possibility, I don't see how any of us can give any meaningful advice without first seeing you in said uniform.
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
Fun Size said:
I think the question really boils down to this: would you at any point be required to wear one of those Catholic school girl uniforms? If that's even a possibility, I don't see how any of us can give any meaningful advice without first seeing you in said uniform.
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:rolleyes:
 
Cog

Cog

Since when taking Eucharist is obligatory? 8 years in a catholic school and no one ever made me do it.
 
Gusto

Gusto

Is this a Bible Belt thing? I attended a Catholic high school and we had a selection of Jewish and Muslim students, and even a couple Sikh teachers. I took World Religions as my grade 11 religion credit, which didn't touch on Christianity at all.
 
Cog

Cog

It's funny. No one ever asked me what is my religion or care if I follow the regulations of Catholicism. And I live in Latin-America (catholic land)
 
North_Ranger

North_Ranger

Staff member
Experience is experience is experience. And for us starting teachers, experience is worth its proverbial weight in gold.

That's all the advice I can give, as a somewhat morally flexible Finn. But then again, we don't have much of this kinda stuff... there's a parish-held, ten-minute morning sermon-plus-gospel thingie maybe once a month in our local public school, but that's it. As far as I know the really religious people who don't want their children in public schools homeschool their kids; at least I have not heard of denominational schools around here.
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
Cog said:
It's funny. No one ever asked me what is my religion or care if I follow the regulations of Catholicism. And I live in Latin-America (catholic land)
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It's pretty serious here, depending on the school. One school where I was hoping to land a job because of location and better pay (best pay you can get at a Catholic school) asked me a lot of personal questions about my faith in the interview and were obviously put off when I gave them evasive answers. I said things like, "I haven't been back in town for long, and I don't have a church that I go to regularly," and things like that. The biggest issue with being a teacher at an elementary school is that I'm way more involved in teaching theology than I would as a middle school or high school teacher. I'm pretty much in charge of their Catechism, which I could totally do if it didn't make people uncomfortable. I'm still very knowledgeable.

This all has less to do with my discomfort and more to do with not wanting to piss anyone off.
Added at: 15:24
Gusto said:
Is this a Bible Belt thing? I attended a Catholic high school and we had a selection of Jewish and Muslim students, and even a couple Sikh teachers. I took World Religions as my grade 11 religion credit, which didn't touch on Christianity at all.
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We're a little lower than the Bible belt. This town is more Catholic than Protestant, and some schools just take it more seriously than others. Jewish and Muslim students are admitted, and I'm sure that not every teacher is a practicing Catholic, but I'm just not good at fibbing about my faith when it's obviously important to the person interviewing me.
 
Fun Size

Fun Size

Woah now. Let's not get weird here. I was simply attempting to evaluate the fashion that would be forced on her in an effort to help her avoid being stuck in a sartorial catastrophe. I assure you that if Gusto were up for the same job, I would suggest he post pictures of himself dressed as a Catholic school girl too.

Man, sometimes it seems like everyone on the internet is just trying to make things dirty, you know?
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
I should tell y'all, my uniform was a baggy white polo shirt and also-baggy men's navy blue trousers. I hated shirts back then, and all my clothes were a size too big because I was super insecure. So................ I never ever ever was part of that cute private schoolgirl breed. :p
 
Null

Null

My sister teaches at a Catholic charter school. We're Presbyterian. One of the classes she teaches is essentially religion - familiarizing them with the commandments seemed to be the focus of the course.

Now, she isn't required to, and doesn't, attend Mass with the students. But then again, this is New Jersey, religion doesn't generally hold the same importance in one's daily life at is does other places.
 
Gusto

Gusto



Here's a photo of myself in my high school uniform. As far as I know it's one of the only photos from that era that were scanned in, as I didn't own a digital camera yet.
 
C

Chibibar

I was in a schoolgirl outfit (Miaka's outfit which is Maron's costume) but I wouldn't subject anyone here to see that.
 
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