Jane Laurie – Biology/Science Teacher
After finishing my PGDE in 2011, I decided that my studying days weren’t over yet and I applied for the CREDL course at the. CREDL is a Post Graduate certificate in Religious Education that is completed by distance learning. It allows practitioners to teach RE in Catholic schools.
What the Course Entailed
The CREDL course was completed online and involved a great deal of discussion with the tutors at the University of Glasgow. There were two modules and each was made up of 8 sections. These sections included a plethora of interesting questions and readings to be completed. At the end of each section I was asked to choose two questions and discuss my opinions via email with my tutor. Initially I thought this was going to be intimidating, as I was opening myself up to a very qualified university tutor, however it was completely the opposite, it gave me the chance to reflect on what my opinions and values actually are.
Assessment
Each section was assessed by completion of a 3,000 word essay. Section one of the first essay was 1,800 and its focus was on my ‘Faith Journey’ and my understanding of Gospel readings. This section of the second assignment was more focused on how I would implement these readings into my teaching. In order to help with section two of the assignment, I attended a CPD event and gave feedback on its purpose and effect on my professional practice. The opportunity for CPD is vast at St Margaret’s so this wasn’t a problem!
Benefits to my Teaching
I highly recommend this course as excellent CPD for any generalist RE or inspiring RE teachers. This course has helped me to greatly improve my understanding of many concepts used in the RE classroom and has given me many teaching ideas to help enthuse my current pupils. On a personal level, it has encouraged me to deepen my understanding of my faith and hopefully, using the skills I have learned, I will be able to inspire others.
I am more than happy to share my experience with others and show examples of the work I completed.
