Teaching How to Teach RC
Since September 2007 my Area has had a special class for those who we (the teachers of the Area) think are ready to take a step toward becoming teachers. Directly translated from Dutch, we call it “teachers in education class.”
The class provides space to talk about the benefits, challenges, and requirements of becoming teachers. It’s a place where they can think and discharge and see others think and discharge about becoming an RC teacher.
The class meets every four weeks. I made it an open format. Everybody in the Area who wants to explore the idea of teaching is free to drop in at any time. This format allows us to deal with economic oppression (full calenders, full lives) and makes me stretch my flexibility as a teacher.
As soon as people start teaching, they move to the teachers and assistants class.
Over the last year we have had classes on: (1) developing the Community and the role of teaching (2) the importance of teaching fundamentals classes, (3) teaching new people to become one’s best counselors (4) the Guidelines (I made a summary of all the requirements for teachers and other relevant points and we spent two meetings on this), (5) how to begin a class, and, most recently, (6) a class in which I stretched my thinking about referencing.
There are many subjects to think about: (1) being correct about RC theory, (2) leadership, (3) the role of self-estimation, (4) how to organize counseling the leader, (5) dealing with criticism, (6) what support is for a leader, (7) the relationship among teachers and other leaders, and so on.
A core of people attend regularly. Some people drop in now and then. One person began teaching his own fundamentals class. Two people are on the edge of taking that step. I expect at least three people to make that move in the next two years.
Frank van den Heuvel
Nieuwegein, the Netherlands