Advice for working in a Catholic/private school halp!

[fireheart]

So I have found new employment since I left my previous job. I've mentioned it vaguely in a couple of places, but I don't have any sucky customer stories from it.

Basically, I work for a company that provides before/after-school care programs to school-age kids. Usually this is for kids aged 5-13 and is linked to a particular school. I am an emergency relief worker, which means that I can be called upon to work at any number of schools within a particular radius (my current radius is 20km from my house). I do have a bit more flexibility in that I can accept or decline shifts and the shifts themselves are generally short (during term it's 2-3 hours, during holidays it can be up to double that).

In this case, the company provides programs to a number of private schools in the area. They also provide a number of programs to Catholic schools (basically, for some bizarre reason, the Catholic schools have their own governing body so they are generally referred to separately).

My questions are:

1) Is there anything I should NOT do when I'm working at those schools? (We do have a uniform, which is a polo shirt, pants/shorts and sneakers. Basically as long as it's not jeans and it's plain black/blue, it's OK)
2) Is there anything I need to be mindful of when I'm working in private schools that is unique to them?

Most of the private schools that I'd be dealing with are either non-denominational (more or less Christian though), Uniting Church (Presbyterian/Methodist), Seventh-Day Adventist, Anglican, Lutheran or Catholic. The rest are public.

Also, one non-related question: I'm really wanting to teach sitdown volleyball as part of my activities, but a number of schools do not have tennis nets. What can I use as an alternative?

[PepperElf]

For working at one, I would recommend just be professional. I don't remember much from mine - but mind you I was a student and not a teacher.

If you're worried about any specific guidelines I'd recommend asking the local staff (or clergy) if they have any particular rules or expectations.


For nets - only thing i can think of is yarn or twine representing a net, but i don't know if that'll be acceptable or not.

[Slayer]

We used to just use a line of cones and imagined the net. Bonus if they have those gymnastic ribbons, tie two ends or in a bow and drop the sticks through the top of the cone. It'll be lower than a net, but if it's for fun, it'll work. If the ribbon is too long, wrap it around the stick first or just pull it through the bottom of the cone until it's good.

As for the schools, just being polite and mindful of your language like no swearing; even "that sucks" can get some shocked faces from kids. Speaking from experience on that one lol. It was so hard not to laugh XD. There isn't much that is different and if there is, it'll be outlined.

Specifically for private, sometimes parents think they own you because they pay thousands for their kids to be in your presence (doesn't matter if you don't actually work directly for the school *sigh*). Not all parents, of course, but some; just don't let them ruin your mood. "smile and nod" goes a long way.

And be prepared for lots of random and sometimes incoherent kid stories (like everywhere). One of my favorite parts hehe.

Have fun!

[Kheldarson]

The Catholic Church is its own governing body so it's not so bizarre.

But yeah, whatever you would normally do at a non-denominational or Christian school, you can do at a Catholic school. I doubt you'd be handling theological questions.

If you're really curious, you might look up the schools individually and see if they have some sort of code that they have parents and/or teachers sign. A lot often do. That'll give you some idea of what moral standards they're trying to uphold beyond the basics.

Otherwise, just hold to the basics (y'know 10 Commandments, love thy neighbor) and be professional and you're cool.

[NorthernZel]

The only thing I'd be aware of is whether you are expected to attend Mass or some other religious services. In that case, I'd bring a cardigan or similar with me since short sleeves are frowned upon in some Catholic churches.

[fireheart]

The only thing I'd be aware of is whether you are expected to attend Mass or some other religious services. In that case, I'd bring a cardigan or similar with me since short sleeves are frowned upon in some Catholic churches.

The uniform does have a jumper. Thankfully unlike the previous uniform, the only things I need to source independently are shoes and pants. Everything from the waist up is company-sourced, jumper included.

I will keep the mass part in mind.

As far as theological questions go, if I get kids who want help with their homework, then I may end up having to field a few. We'll see though.
All programs DO cover K-7 at a minimum.

[Sapphire Silk]

The only thing I'd be aware of is whether you are expected to attend Mass or some other religious services. In that case, I'd bring a cardigan or similar with me since short sleeves are frowned upon in some Catholic churches.

I think if Mass were an expectation you would have been informed when hired. I doubt it will be if you are not Catholic.

You SHOULD conceal any use of contraceptives, and not discuss the topic with your students. Check for a moral turpitude clause. If so, don't let it scare you off the job, just bear in mind you'll need to be discreet on some subjects. Which won't be any different than the other Christian schools you taught at.

[fireheart]

I think if Mass were an expectation you would have been informed when hired. I doubt it will be if you are not Catholic.

You SHOULD conceal any use of contraceptives, and not discuss the topic with your students. Check for a moral turpitude clause. If so, don't let it scare you off the job, just bear in mind you'll need to be discreet on some subjects. Which won't be any different than the other Christian schools you taught at.

I've only ever worked in one private school beforehand when I was on work experience in Year 12. Two things I learned from that:

1) High school students are still high school students, no matter what school you go to (several of them found it hilarious to hit on the student teacher-and I was teaching K-5 including one of the kids from up the road !)

2) It is REALLY awkward when you're listening to a student read and he tries to contradict a passage in a book. (the story was relating to a Native American legend as one of the "readers" for a kid. He got about 1/2 way through and cried out "That's not what happened, God did it!") Awkies.

I have the contraceptive rod in my arm which is invisible apart from a small scar near my elbow. If the kids ask, I'm gonna tell them that it's from an operation I had as a kid, but I think the uniform covers it up. The kids at the schools I'm thinking of go up to Year 7 (so 13). I won't bring up the topic unless they do.

Because we're an independent after-school care provider, I do believe we have some leeway in certain things, although I am working through a response to any questions about "other" deities. My response so far is along the lines of:

"God and what He does can be seen in different ways by different people. Some people may see Him as an animal, some may see Him as being African, Asian, Hispanic. Some may even see God as a woman. They still believe in God though, even if it's not necessarily the same way that you may see Him."

There are a few public schools that run the program, the rest are all private, so my question was about those. Most of the schools within my "catchment" area are either Catholic, non-denominational, Anglican, Seventh-Day Adventist, Uniting (Presbyterian/Methodist), Lutheran or "unsure." (I have no idea )

[Seshat]

I worked in a private Lutheran school for a while.

* Conservative clothes, though during school holidays you can be a bit more lax.
I discovered the hard way that when crawling on the floor, wiring computers, some of my shirts showed more bust than I thought!

* Conservative mannerisms (eg, the not swearing).

* Don't let on that you play D&D or other role-playing games. (Le sigh).

* In any religious or quasi-religious discussion, or with any such question, tell the kids to bring it up with their spiritual teachers.
If you're covering a science or history class, talk to one of the teachers beforehand if at all possible!

I do like the 'God is multifaceted' response to comparitive religion questions.

Last time I visited my niece and nephew (who are being raised Christian), I asked Ashleigh what religions she could name. She started by naming Protestant Christian denominations...

So - since I knew she was studying Japanese in school, I asked her what religions they had in Japan. She couldn't answer until I prompted her with 'Shinto...", but then she was able to tell me that they're also Buddhist. I decided to leave ancestor worship out of it; those two was enough for just then.

We managed to cover Islam and Judaism briefly as well.

<sigh>

Multicultural schmulticultural. Damn stupid conservative ...
<yes, I'm grumping about my own family here. Not anyone who's likely to be reading this.>

Anyway: you'll need to discuss matters of comparitive religion, and religion-vs-science, with the schools themselves if you possibly can.
If you can't do so before the topic comes up, divert, deflect, defer to their regular teacher, or do what you planned to do in your previous posts.

[BroSCFischer]

Otherwise, just hold to the basics (y'know 10 Commandments, love thy neighbor) and be professional and you're cool.

Be aware that you probably shouldn't get into anything theological, not even something as basic as the 10 Commandments. The reason being that the numbering/division is different for Catholics and some/many Protestant denominations.

SC

[PepperElf]

As for the schools, just being polite and mindful of your language like no swearing; even "that sucks" can get some shocked faces from kids. Speaking from experience on that one lol. It was so hard not to laugh XD. There isn't much that is different and if there is, it'll be outlined.

Good point.

Back when I was in high school my track coaches would get FURIOUS with us for saying that. They said "it's just an euphemism for something else!" although it wasn't how we were using it that's what they felt so we weren't allowed to say it around them.*

I don't know if people still think that way but it's possible.




*oddly... i've never heard "sucks" being used that way anyway. Except once on a single Monty Python skit.

[PandaHat]

Because we're an independent after-school care provider, I do believe we have some leeway in certain things, although I am working through a response to any questions about "other" deities. My response so far is along the lines of:

"God and what He does can be seen in different ways by different people. Some people may see Him as an animal, some may see Him as being African, Asian, Hispanic. Some may even see God as a woman. They still believe in God though, even if it's not necessarily the same way that you may see Him."

Some parents my still have issue with that;they may feel you're implying that all religions are true. It may be safer to rephrase the first sentence> Maybe something like, people have different faiths and beliefs about God. I encourage you to speak to <whichever spiritual teacher etc is appropriate> about them. What is important is to learn to be respectful towards people with different beliefs, even if you don't agree with them."

EDIT: Hahaha! Just realised I edited everything rather than the first sentence. Oh wel!

[Sapphire Silk]

2) It is REALLY awkward when you're listening to a student read and he tries to contradict a passage in a book. (the story was relating to a Native American legend as one of the "readers" for a kid. He got about 1/2 way through and cried out "That's not what happened, God did it!") Awkies.

Very, and it can be a pitfall with kids from really fundamentalist families. Probably the best response is, "It's just a story," and move on.

I have the contraceptive rod in my arm which is invisible apart from a small scar near my elbow. If the kids ask, I'm gonna tell them that it's from an operation I had as a kid, but I think the uniform covers it up. The kids at the schools I'm thinking of go up to Year 7 (so 13). I won't bring up the topic unless they do.

If you mean the topic of the scar, thumbs up. If you mean the topic of contraception in general; best to avoid answering a straight question and defer the question to their parents, "You should ask your Mom and Dad about that. It's not appropriate for me to discuss that subject today."

Be aware that you probably shouldn't get into anything theological, not even something as basic as the 10 Commandments. The reason being that the numbering/division is different for Catholics and some/many Protestant denominations.

SC

Also, there are several books in the Old Testament that appear in Catholic Bibles, but not Protestant Bibles (like the Book of Wisdom). And Catholics say the Lord's Prayer differently than Protestants (they add on And the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory are yours now and forever).

But the real reason to avoid anything everything theological is there will be diverse opinions on the subject and you will not be able to please everyone, so someone will always end up offended. It's why we discuss actual issues related to religion in Fratching and not in CS.

Some parents my still have issue with that;they may feel you're implying that all religions are true. It may be safer to rephrase the first sentence> Maybe something like, people have different faiths and beliefs about God. I encourage you to speak to <whichever spiritual teacher etc is appropriate> about them. What is important is to learn to be respectful towards people with different beliefs, even if you don't agree with them."

EDIT: Hahaha! Just realised I edited everything rather than the first sentence. Oh wel!

Ah, no worries. But Quoted for Very VERY Truth!

[fireheart]

Very, and it can be a pitfall with kids from really fundamentalist families. Probably the best response is, "It's just a story," and move on.

From memory, that WAS how I handled it. I was just stunned when I was listening to him read. The story was something to do with fire and Native Americans and the part in question involved a crow becoming black because of the smoke. The comment was more about God creating the crow as black.

He could've been from a more devout family though. As far as I'm aware, the school was Anglican-based, but the religious trappings were minor. There was maybe a brief prayer at the start of the day and that was it (not that I saw it). The school itself was (and still is) fairly new (it was built the year before I was born). There's no chapel on the grounds.

If you mean the topic of the scar, thumbs up. If you mean the topic of contraception in general; best to avoid answering a straight question and defer the question to their parents, "You should ask your Mom and Dad about that. It's not appropriate for me to discuss that subject today."

I was referring to the scar. I'm not about to bring contraception up with students unless it's in a formal classroom. The only time I'll be talking about anything puberty-related is if I get a girl who's having her period, or a boy who's wondering why he continually has boners.

Also, there are several books in the Old Testament that appear in Catholic Bibles, but not Protestant Bibles (like the Book of Wisdom). And Catholics say the Lord's Prayer differently than Protestants (they add on And the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory are yours now and forever).

The only prayers I can remember are the standard "now I lay me down to sleep" and a couple of lines from the Lord's Prayer.

Well, I will know soon enough. I got a call today from head office*. I may have a permanent spot, although I can still be called on for relief scheduling. Fingers crossed that the location is NOT in the middle of a peak hour road!

*head office actually DO talk to us since staff frequently transfer between sites. They've established open contact with all staff and hold the occasional network meeting.

[PepperElf]

Basically, I work for a company that provides before/after-school care programs to school-age kids.

I noticed the question on whether or not Fireheart would be required to attend Mass. Since this is an "after-school" program, I sincerely doubt this will be an issue.

I mean, yes, a Catholic school WILL most likely be having students go to Mass on occasion - holy days of obligation or as part of Religion class. But that's usually during the day rather than after school.

At least that's how it was when I went to Catholic school. I don't even remember if my teachers participated - well save for Sister Helen of course.



But for an after-school program you shouldn't have to worry. Only other thing I can think of is that, if the children really misbehave - or if they use foul language - you can also get the clergy involved in having a talk with them about their behavior.

The only time I'll be talking about anything puberty-related is if I get a girl who's having her period, or a boy who's wondering why he continually has boners.

You shouldn't have to worry about that one though. IIRC in 5th grade our teachers had a lesson on the birds & the bees for us.

oh and congrats!