Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Year in Review
I think that the thing that made the most impact on me this year was going to my confirmation classes. I have just finished the process of being confirmed after three years, and I hated every minute of it! The confirmation teachers were just volunteers or parents. They were so close minded and infused ideas into you. My first year was the best I had Mrs. Bolin as my teacher. Mrs. Bolin is extremely kind and was nothing that I stated up at the top. The others on the other hand were my worst nightmare. My 8th grade confirmation teacher told me that I can't be friends with Yunus and that any one who is of another religion or questions God even for that matter has no chance of making it to heaven. My last teacher stated that I can't believe in evolution, and kept that opinion even after I told her Mr. Voight's opinon that I think is cool. She also was very against same gender marriage and just different people. On top of the classes we as 7th, 8th, and 9th graders all together had to come on most sundays to church. we listened to the same people sing and some more stories of how God is great. It gets old very very quickly, and after two years of being able to miss one every year and having it all be switched to being mandatory really put most of the ninth graders against it. The total experience has been negative and has pulled me further away from any spiritual being.
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6 comments:
I completely agree. One bad.. well not bad but one teacher who doesnt reflect well on you can ruin alot. This person can make an experiance bad for you. A teacher is someone youre supposed to look up to. Not someone who makes you feel belittled all the time
umm wasnt your mom your teacher once? haha
no but seriously those sunday nights were tidious and boring. and horrible. i brought my homework. and i agree all the stories sounded the same!
I agree with Dominique, a teacher should be inspiring and not bring you away from what your learning about.
I think there is a bigger lesson here. before I get started, let me say that I am sorry that your confirmation classes, the one thing that is supposed to invigorate your faith and spirituality, has, in fact, done the opposite. I was sort of apathetic throughout my personal confirmation so it was that significant for me. Hopefully you will be inspired by something later in life that will serve this purpose.
the thing that sticks out for me as a teacher is this: Many times, the intention of a class, or program, or event, has unintended consequences becauase the teachers, leaders, etc...assume that is what is best for their pupils? These assumptions are made for a variety of reasons and perhaps I'm not going to sufficiently explain my point here, but, your confirmation teachers provided an unfulfilling experience becauase they weren't responsive to your faith needs. This is why I have tried to do different things throughout the year. Students sometimes moan and groan becuase their teachers are tyring something new, and they might resent being a guinea pig but shouldn't the teacher be applauded for trying new things to inspire the student? Teachers should be giving voice to the students, so the students can drive the learning.
I still have one more year of conformation left. At the moment I'm really not enjoying it. It is the same things over and over again. When they ask us to talk about it, we really can't say much. Having someone tell you to believe something, is going to turn you off even more.
Well Adam, I'm glad to know that you chose to be friends with me and not blindly follow your religious teacher. Having parents of both the Islamic Faith and Christian Faith has kept me from really touching base on either subject but to be honest I'm rather proud of both backgrounds. Both religions teach basically the same thing, belief in a single God and having upstanding morals. Due to the fact that I do have parents of both religion, I've actually prayed at both a mosk and a church, which may seem a little contradictary, but to be honest I think it is just as fulfilling. I like how I have generally knowledge in both faith and am not ignorant about one or other, unlike many people in our society today.
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