Top Tips for Collaborating in SRE - Part 2
Helpful tips to create a better support network when working alongside and collaborating with other SRE teachers and providers
When I was my local Primary SRE coordinator, I was blessed to work alongside teachers from a number of neighbouring churches. This year, I became the neighbour-teacher: I was kindly welcomed into a team of Primary SRE teachers from the parish next-door to mine. The reason I asked to teach on this team and at this school is because it’s where my sons attend!
Here are a few tips that may help your SRE collaborations run smoothly:
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Primary SRE
Top Tips for Collaborating in SRE - Part 3
1. Clarify roles
In the Primary SRE space, usually there is a church that is the chief organising church, with additional volunteers joining the team from other local churches (as I have). Whether you are the organiser or the additional teacher it’s a good idea to clarify key things like whose church will order and pay for the books? On which parish datafile is the teacher’s information kept? (The teacher’s “home church” parish). Who is responsible for signing the teacher’s authorisation card? (The teacher’s own senior minister).
2. Articulate vision
When partnering with SRE, it’s helpful to make sure all members of the team share the same vision, lest you find yourself working at cross-purposes. Has your team articulated what their vision is for SRE in the schools at which you teach? Have you shared with one another what goals you have as you enter the school week on week? A simple vision statement might be “As teachers we shine Christ’s love by delivering engaging, Bible-based lessons and building genuine relationships with the students in our classes, as well as the staff at the school”. What vision statement might your team write? Would it be one that you can all agree to?
3. Meet regularly
Regular meetings as a team for SRE are so important! These might take a few different forms:
Top Tips for Collaborating in SRE - Part 1
Helpful tips to create a better support network when working alongside and collaborating with other SRE teachers and providers
1. A short catch-up and pray before the lesson.
2. A quick debrief after the lesson.
3. A more lengthy share and prayer once a term (often in the school holidays).
These meetings are more important if you don’t attend church with the people on your team, as over time you are able to build relationships together as God’s fellow-workers.
4. Meet regularly
You might have members on your team from other denominations who are authorised by other SRE providers (a full list of the Department of Education’s approved SRE providers can be found by clicking here.
If you have a teacher from the local non-Anglican church, it would be wise to work with them to ensure that they have fulfilled the requirements of their denomination to be approved as an authorised SRE teacher.
5. User wider support networks
If all of this seems too much, you’re not alone. Just this month, SRE coordinators across Sydney met in SRE Masterclasses, run by Youthworks Ministry Support team. And every February, over 1000 SRE teachers attend Youthworks’ SRE conferences. These conferences will indeed be running in 2021 (albeit in a slightly different COVID-safe format). In addition to Youthworks’ support, there are other groups which are working to support SRE across NSW.
In my next article (Part 3) I will share some tips and tricks for collaborating in the High School SRE space.