The Joyful Vocation of a Catholic Teacher

Most teachers in Catholic schools are not Catholic. Similarly, most of the students are not Catholic. But that doesn’t mean that Catholic education doesn’t have a massive impact on the lives of its staff and learners. CLAIRE MATHIESON finds out more about the joys of being a Catholic teacher.

Learners from Maryvale Collge in Johannesburg. (Inset) Life orientation and religious education teacher Koketso Magodielo.

Koketso Magodielo is adamant about his vocation as a teacher in a Catholic school.

“Teaching in a Catholic school is not just a job, though that it also is. And it’s not just a way of making a great contribution to the life of young people, though it is that as well. And it’s not just a very fulfilling and fruitful way of working for others,” said the life orientation and religious education teacher at Maryvale College in Johannesburg.

“Teaching in a Catholic school can also be, for those who wish to discover its most profound significance, a ministry within the Church.”

For him, being a Catholic teacher is much more than any job description. “It is the work of the Holy Spirit as well as of the individual teacher.”

The 30-year-old has been teaching Grades 10-12 for three years but has been involved in Catholic education his whole life. He describes himself as a lifelong Catholic, having attended Morekolodi, Loreto in Queenswood and Assumption Convent in Pretoria.

“I can say without a doubt in my mind, next to the influence of my parents, Catholic education has made the biggest impact on my life. I am forever grateful for the sacrifices made by my parents, teachers and administrators over the years that have helped to build my faith,” he said.

It is with this excitement the teacher greeted the idea of talking to The Southern Cross for this special edition. “It is a great opportunity to celebrate the unique identity of our Catholic schools and the wonderful opportunities provided to our Catholic students!”

Mr Magodielo believes teaching in a Catholic school is both a vocation and a ministry of the Church. He does not see his occupation as a job at all but as God’s work. Much like sisters and priests are called to service in parishes and missions, Mr Magodielo believes teachers are called to the classroom.

“The teacher in the Catholic school is part of the overall mission of the Catholic Church. This ministry of teaching is more than a call to competence—it requires us to live out daily the teachings of Jesus Christ by interacting with children and adults in a spirit of love and justice. Such a ministry calls us to live and act in a way that is faithful to the beliefs and practices of the Catholic community and to contribute time, energy and talents to the development of the school as an authentically Catholic community,” Mr Magodielo said.

And he’s a passionate teacher. Mr Magodielo considers being a teacher in the classroom interacting with students to be the greatest positions he has held in his work experience. “It’s not really a job, but a vocation. As a schoolteacher, you are persecuted and pushed to the limits.”

A parishioner of Holy Trinity in Braamfontein, Mr Magodielo regularly calls one symbol to mind when he is teaching: the cross. It’s something, he said, that keeps him going. This is particularly important when at times it seems the world is against religion and its institutions.

“In a Catholic school, there is a culture and identity that is distinctly religious, that is unlike any other. We are aware that we are living in a world that is trying desperately to do without God. However, there is a deep desire today or in our modern world to reflect about our own spirituality or religion.”

As a religious education teacher Mr Magodielo is well aware of the importance of teachers reinforcing a Catholic ethos and image in all areas of education and not just in his lessons.

“As Catholic school educators we believe that students, like ourselves, are pilgrim people, making their journey through this life with a constant focus on the next,” he said.

“As Catholic educators, we have a special responsibility to encourage each student to achieve his or her maximum potential. We work to stimulate the spirit of inquiry, the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and the thoughtful formulation of worthy goals.”

The teacher said children are influenced by home, community, and a society in which attitudes towards Christian values are often challenged.

“Parents, the source from whom children and youth derive their values, entrust their children to the Catholic school to instruct, complement and intensify the education and formation begun in the home. We are called to assist these parents in fulfilling their obligation for the Christian formation and education of their child,” Mr Magodielo said.

And so those who are engaged in the mission as teachers in Catholic schools are “very precious members of the Church and their ministry cannot be valued highly enough”.

For Mr Magodielo, taking on this challenge is not something discouraging; instead his career has been joyful. Having discovered the true value and having gained a full understanding of his role in the Church—as a Catholic educator—Mr Magodielo said he embraces his work, finding it exciting and truly fulfilling.