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Is this silly? Private vs. Public schools

Mar 9, 2011#1

Cajungal

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.

Mar 9, 2011#2

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.

Mar 9, 2011#3

Cajungal

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.

Mar 9, 2011#4

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.

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.

Mar 9, 2011#5

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.

Mar 9, 2011#6

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.

Mar 9, 2011#7

Cajungal

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.

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.

Mar 9, 2011#8

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.

Mar 9, 2011#9

Cajungal

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.

Mar 9, 2011#10

Cog

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

Mar 9, 2011#11

Cajungal

It isn't, but at the schools I went to, people's eyebrows raised if you consistently refused it.

Mar 9, 2011#12

strawman

Cajungal said:
It isn't, but at the schools I went to, people's eyebrows raised if you consistently refused it.

Just tell them, "Communion wafers aren't kosher."

Mar 9, 2011#13

Cajungal

First Lady Puffinstuff said:
Just tell them, "Communion wafers aren't kosher."

I have my plan now. Thank you.

Mar 9, 2011#14

sixpackshaker

Just come out and say that you are not a Practical Catholic anymore.

Mar 9, 2011#15

Cog

Tell them you are divorced.

Mar 9, 2011#16

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.

Mar 9, 2011#17

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)

Mar 9, 2011#18

North_Ranger

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.

Mar 9, 2011#19

Cajungal

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)

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.

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.

Mar 9, 2011#20

Chibibar

Cajungal said:

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.

I wanna see it too!!

Mar 9, 2011#21

Gusto

Cajungal said:
We're a little lower than the Bible belt.

Below the belt?

Mar 9, 2011#22

Cajungal

Heeheehee, yes. North Louisiana is more about the Bible belty-ness.

Mar 9, 2011#23

Gusto

Mar 9, 2011#24

Chibibar

Cajungal said:
Heeheehee, yes. North Louisiana is more about the Bible belty-ness.

so we get you see get spanked while in a catholic school girl uniform?? sign me up!

Mar 9, 2011#25

Gusto

|:^I

Mar 9, 2011#26

Disconnected

I'm an under the gut belt man myself.

Mar 9, 2011#27

Gusto

Mar 9, 2011#28

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?

Mar 9, 2011#29

Cajungal

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.

Mar 9, 2011#30

Fun Size

Hrm. I'm not convinced. I'll need someone to upload pictures of Gusto wearing it to be sure.

Mar 9, 2011#31

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.

Mar 9, 2011#32

Cajungal

Fun Size said:
Hrm. I'm not convinced. I'll need someone to upload pictures of Gusto wearing it to be sure.

Why hasn't someone drawn this yet? Someone like Bumble...

Mar 9, 2011#33

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.

Mar 9, 2011#34

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.

Mar 9, 2011#35

Gusto

I wnna see if I can find pictures of myself in a Celtics sweatervest. I used to rock that shit.

Mar 9, 2011#36

Cajungal

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

As the creator of this thread, I demand that you post!

Mar 9, 2011#37

sixpackshaker

NOOOOOoooo!

Mar 9, 2011#38

Fun Size

Cajungal said:
As the creator of this thread, I demand that you post!

Seconded, especially if you're getting a spanking in it.

Mar 9, 2011#39

SpecialKO

I think it depends very much on which Catholic school, and what their particular policy is.

I went to a private Catholic school for a while, and they didn't care whether you were Catholic or not as long as you didn't say anything during the morning minute of silence in homeroom and stuck (more or less) to the dress code. Only maybe half the teachers were themselves Catholic, and one guy (the world religion teacher) was a publicly-declared agnostic.

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