"Those who regard teaching as a vocation derive their identity from an inner motivation that allows them to shape their roles rather than merely occupy them...vocation focuses inward to the core of the practice itself." (Durka, 2002, p.4)
I'm not a teacher, not in the way I once was, though as a preacher I still draw from that identity. But my identity within the vocation of education is that of an administrator. I think I was a good teacher (I hope I'm a better preacher) but as my time in the classroom and the conference room unfolded, I came to realize that what God has given me is better used in educational leadership than it is in the daily routine of a classroom. But in that realization over many years I hold on to a deep respect for what happens in that daily routine of a classroom. And if I want to be a good administrator, I'd better hold onto that respect!
Vocation is all about, as Durka suggests, identity. The Christian vocation is about coming to know God's will, and thus our unique identity, within our individual lives. That can't be done, of course, without a reaching out from within each of us us to the world in need. To put it in very traditional terms, the more and more we become Christlike, the more we come to know and understand out true self.
The "core of the practice" for a Catholic educator, it seems to me, it to discern ones' identity as a teacher in light of the dignity we are given in baptism - to be part of the life and mission of Jesus Christ and His Church. To teach as Jesus did, as it where.
When I reflect on how life and experience drew me to administration I see how my vocation in Catholic education was an unfolding, in a rather natural way, from student, to teacher to administrator. It was a calling from within, as Durka suggests, but it was also a confirmation from the world around me. That's key to identity formation and discernment in vocation. We may think we should teach, but without some confirmation from outside of us that, in fact, we can teach, we can't (and should not) go deeper into that identity. We may think we have the skills and gifts to lead - but without some confirmation from others - we may just be developing a false identity.
All of this makes life in the Spirit more and more crucial to our endeavor. Trying to attune ourselves to the movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives will help us to achieve the vocational identity of which Durka writes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Your comments about transitioning from student to teacher to administrator cause me to remember Durka's words about passion and taking risks in teaching. Changing careers or positions, even within the same career, definitely involves risk. Yet, that is necessary to arrive at the place where we have a true vocation, the place that incites the passion transforming ordinary work into extraordinary.
ReplyDeleteHow true about outside confirmation!
"Confirmation from outside . . . " There is a reality that we need feedback from parents, administrators, other teachers, students . . . to make or confirm our daily transmission of culture, to make what we deem appropriate or important to our students truly culturally relevant. Consider a teacher who goes off the rails and ends up in the headlines. Our base spirituality informs our choices and transmission of ideas but we can never forget who we serve.
ReplyDeleteI very much like how you're grounding vocation in the practice of prayer and saying also that in our conformity to Christ we arrive at our true selves.
ReplyDeleteThanks for highlighting the vocation-identity connection. Indeed those who call their jobs a "profession" are less likely to say the job is their identity.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Your post made me re-focus on the "core of our practice" and teaching as Jesus would have with the Holy Spirit within us. It's sometimes easy to forget why we're all doing this in the first place.
ReplyDelete