Monitoring the Religious Education Program for Effectiveness

volunteer slot by the chaplain or RP. For example: “Thank you, Mrs. Duncan, for volunteering to sing in the choir, but we really need someone to teach the fifth grade boys Sunday School class.” If volunteers feel that their offer of service is not appreciated or that they are being manipulated to do something they did not offer to do, they will most likely drop out. Most people fear the unknown. For this reason the survey team should carry position descriptions with them while conducting the survey. Then, volunteers will have a general idea of what will be expected of them. Personal contacts during the survey will probably have a more favorable effect than just distributing information sheets for volunteers to complete and return, or having pew cards or questionnaires available for personnel to complete and give to the chaplain or RP. There is generally a low rate of return on such items. Visibility of the chaplain and RP is very important in the recruitment of volunteers. Managing Training Programs for Curriculum Instructors Persons who volunteer for positions as curriculum instructors may be well versed in the curriculum, fully understand the expectations of the position description, yet be completely unprepared to teach classes because of a lack of teacher training. Classroom instructors need not fend for themselves and stumble along without teacher training. Some of the teacher training can and should be conducted by the chaplain and leading RP. The chaplain should be consulted as the resident expert in the areas of curriculum, classroom teaching techniques, or the development of lesson plans. The chaplain may consult an outside resource agency to facilitate teacher training. The leading RP should brief instructors on such subjects as procurement procedures for equipment and supplies, operation of equipment, and personnel support. Working together with the chaplain, the RP staff can make teacher training a worthwhile process for volunteer curriculum instructors. Management of these training opportunities can put the volunteers at ease and can provide them with guidelines for becoming successful and valuable curriculum instructors. Assisting the Chaplain in Curriculum Evaluation Sometimes a curriculum, regardless of how well it is prepared, may still not meet the needs of individuals enrolled in religious education classes. Curriculum material may be difficult for students or teachers to follow. The print may be too large or too small. Too few illustrations may be available. Prepared lesson plans for teachers may or may not be provided. Topics may be too general, too specific, or too controversial. A variety of factors surrounding the presenta- tion of curriculum to students demands that curriculum be evaluated for content and appli- cability by the chaplain, teacher, and RP. Monitoring the Religious Education Program for Effectiveness The leading RP should monitor the religious education program for effectiveness. A weekly status report to the chaplain will highlight any trends that may be developing and identify problem areas so that corrective action can be taken quickly; for example, students may suddenly stop attending classes. There may be valid reasons for this, but generally it is because the student is dissatisfied with either the instruc- tor, the curriculum, the classroom atmosphere, or perhaps a combination of these factors. If students are interested in the material, enjoy the teacher, and are comfortable in the classroom, they will attend classes. The best time to deal with difficulties is when they occur or, if possible, before they occur. This points to the necessity of monitoring the program for effectiveness. Graphs and charts will be of great value in this area; for example, a Con- fraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) class which has 24 students enrolled may show the following attendance pattern: Number Date Enrolled 9-10-85 24 9-12-85 24 9-17-85 24 9-19-85 24 9-24-85 24 9-26-85 24 Number Present 24 23 16 17 13 5 6-14