{"id":7187,"date":"2010-07-10T17:45:19","date_gmt":"2010-07-11T00:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/?p=7187"},"modified":"2010-07-14T17:24:07","modified_gmt":"2010-07-15T00:24:07","slug":"new-dre-workshop-part-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/?p=7187","title":{"rendered":"New DRE workshop"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Starting tomorrow, I&#8217;m going to be leading a workshop for new Directors of Religious Education (DREs). With the thought that this workshop might be useful to others, I&#8217;m going to post summaries of what we cover each day. To start off, I&#8217;ll post the three key handouts which I&#8217;ll hand out at the beginning of the workshop. These three handouts attempt to provide a broad overview of what the DRE job can encompass.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"handoutone\">Handout One: Outline of the Many Things a DRE Might Do<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 No religious educator can possibly do everything the job encompasses!<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 In order to stay sane, you must accept the constraints on your job, e.g., how many hours a week, your written job description, implicit expectations of congregation, mission of congregation, your level of training, the complications of the rest of your life, your present KSA (knowledge, skills, and abilities), etc.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Sometimes the expectations (yours and the congregation\u2019s) for the DRE position exceed the realities of the situation. When expectations exceed reality, DRE burn-out and congregational disappointment may ensue.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We can break down the DRE job into four basic areas of responsibility, listed in the usual order of priority:<\/p>\n<p>&#8212; Administration (non-profit leadership and management)<br \/>\n&#8212; Education<br \/>\n&#8212; Religion and theology<br \/>\n&#8212; Pastoral concerns<\/p>\n<p>If you are quarter-time or less, expect to have the time to do some administration and education. If you are half-time or more, expect to deal with administration and some education (unless your congregation has other priorities). If you are full time, expect to cover three areas of responsibility. If you have been working as a religious educator for ten or more years with appropriate training, expect to get involved in all four areas of responsibility. Exception: large programs may require more administrative responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I\/ Administration (non-profit leadership and management)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;A. Safety<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Ensure safety policies and procedures are in place<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Child\/youth protection<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Emergency evacuations<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;c. Local problems (earthquake, tornado, etc.)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Train volunteers in safety<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Conduct annual safety training for all<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Conduct specialized safety training as needed<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Supervise staff and volunteers in safety<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Conduct fire drills<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. In-classroom observation<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;B. Volunteer management<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Support volunteers: in-service support<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Mid-year workshop<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Monthly teacher meeting\/training<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;c. Consulting with individual teachers<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Support volunteers: supplies and resources<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Classroom notebooks<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Organized supply closets<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;c. Classroom supply boxes<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Recognize volunteers: public recognition<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Mention in newsletter, annual report<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Commission teachers, advisors in worship<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Recognize volunteers: personal and group events<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Handwritten notes for exceptional service<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Volunteer breakfast or other celebration<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Recruit volunteers<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Invite existing volunteers to re-up<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Personally invite key experienced volunteers<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;c. Mass recruitment efforts<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Train volunteers before service begins<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Conduct annual training<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Distribute teacher manual, volunteer manuals<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Written description for all volunteer jobs<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Document what volunteers are doing now<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Create written job descriptions<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;C. Coordinating annual calendar<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Track all annual events<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Document what is happening currently<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Write down annual calendar<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Coordinate annual or bi-annual planning sessions<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Within RE Committee<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. With congregation\u2019s Council or Board<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;D. Project management and scheduling<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Track all major projects (plays, trips, etc.)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Serve as project manager<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Schedule special events<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;E. Systems theory and conflict management<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Recognize and identify conflict<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Use de-triangulation skills<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Recognize systems-level issues<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;F. Evaluation<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Conduct participant program evaluations<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Distribute forms (paper and online)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Analyze results<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Conduct teacher\/leader program evaluation<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Distribute forms (paper and online)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Analyze results<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Conduct other stakeholder program evaluation<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   (parents\/guardians, ministers\/staff, lay leaders,<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;    whole congregation, etc.)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Distribute forms (paper and online)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Analyze results<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;G. Facilities management<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Classroom maintenance and improvements<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Storage maintenance and improvements<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Offices maintenance and improvements<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Facility safety, throughout entire plant<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Resource person: child\/youth-friendly plant<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;H. Publicity and growth<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Maintain brochures<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Prospectus for your program<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Supplement with UUA brochures as needed<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Encourage word of mouth<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Give parents talking points for word of mouth<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Regularly update RE material on Web site<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Review entire site annually<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Submit new material as needed<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Read literature on church growth<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Anything by Lyle Schaller<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Alban Institute books specific to size<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Prepare for growth<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a. Plan for doubled enrollment<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b. Plan for adding a worship service<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;I. Staff supervision (child care workers, RE Assistant)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Regular supervision and\/or staff meetings<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Annual or semi-annual reviews<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Hiring and firing<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;J. Work with RE Committee<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Monthly reports<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Leadership development<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Monthly meetings<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;K. Etc.<\/p>\n<p>II\/ Education<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;A. Curriculum<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Lesson plans<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Curriculum units<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Semester-long and year-long programs<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Curriculum sequences for ages 0-18<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Adult curriculum<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;B. Supervision of teachers and advisors<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Providing teacher self-evaluation tools<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Facilitating teacher support groups<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Observation and feedback of teachers<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Providing in-service teacher-training<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Providing access to in-depth teacher training<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;C. DRE as \u201cmaster teacher\u201d<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Teaching alongside other teachers<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Mentoring other teachers<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Teaching in large-group settings<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;D. Assessment<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Pre-assessment<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Setting learning goals, learning objectives<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Assessing individual and group learning<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Communicating assessment results to congregation<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;E. Classroom management<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Environments that minimize behavior problems<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Tools and training for classroom management<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Being the ultimate disciplinarian<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;F. Etc.<\/p>\n<p>III\/ Religion and theology<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;A. Resource person: worship with young people<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Sounding board for primary worship leaders(s)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Provide resources for including young people<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;B. Resource person: religious studies, comparative religion<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Maintain bibliography and\/or library of resources<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Be an expert (if you have college-level study)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;C. Resource person: Unitarian Universalist theologies<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Maintain bibliography and\/or library of resources<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Be an expert (if you have college-level study)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;D. Worship leader<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Participate\/assist in leading worship<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Primary worship leader (intergenerational, adult)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Children\u2019s chapel leader<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;E. Etc.<\/p>\n<p>IV\/ Pastoral concerns<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;A. Referrals to minister(s), other professionals<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Refer to minister(s)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Maintain referral list<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;B. A listening ear<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Listen without providing advice<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Provide pastoral counseling (if trained)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;C. Basic knowledge of family systems theory<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Maintain bibliography\/library of self-help resource<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Provide pastoral counseling (if trained)<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;D. Etc.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"handouttwo\">Handout Two: Sample weekly and monthly DRE tasks<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Weekly tasks for DRE:<\/p>\n<p><em>Administrative:<\/em><br \/>\na. Check classrooms for readiness &#8212; Sunday morning<br \/>\nb. Supervise child care employees as needed &#8212; Sunday morning<br \/>\nc. Plan for coming week, coming month &#8212; Sunday afternoon<br \/>\nd. Check in with office administrator, sexton &#8212; Monday<br \/>\ne. Attend staff meeting &#8212; Tuesday<br \/>\nf. Meet one-on-one with parish minister &#8212; Tuesday<br \/>\ng. Check newsletter, Web site, submit new info &#8212; Tuesday<br \/>\nh. Respond to email, mail, voice mail &#8212; ongoing<br \/>\ni. Routine administrative maintenance tasks as needed &#8212; ongoing<\/p>\n<p><em>Volunteer training\/support:<\/em><br \/>\na. Look in on all classrooms during classes &#8212; Sunday morning<br \/>\nb. Read weekly evaluations from teachers in class notebooks, respond to any concerns &#8212; Sunday afternoon or Monday<br \/>\nb. Check in with key volunteers as needed &#8212; ongoing<\/p>\n<p><em>Pastoral:<\/em><br \/>\na. Greet people as they come into services &#8212; Sunday morning<br \/>\nb. Attend social hour &#8212; Sunday morning<br \/>\nc. Communicate any possible pastoral concerns to parish minister &#8212; Monday morning<\/p>\n<p>Monthly tasks for DRE:<\/p>\n<p><em>Administrative duties and meetings:<\/em><br \/>\na. Write and submit monthly reports to Board<br \/>\nb. Write and submit monthly report to RE Committee<br \/>\nc. Review, sign, and submit payroll sheets from child care staff<br \/>\nd. Write class notes (and perhaps a column) for newsletter<br \/>\ne. Attend committee meetings as directed by supervisor<br \/>\nf. Coordinate with chair facilities committee<\/p>\n<p><em>District\/denominational, and professional development:<\/em><br \/>\na. Attend district gatherings of religious educators<br \/>\nb. Carry out a district or denominational commitment (as schedule allows)<br \/>\nc. Carry out program of professional development (planned for the year, and based on evaluations of the previous year)<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"handoutthree\">Handout three: Annual RE calendar for committee and DRE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Annual Calendar for First Universalist on the Beach (FUB)<\/p>\n<p>This is a completely hypothetical annual religious education calendar. Obviously, every congregation will have a somewhat different annual rhythm, and different special events and annual events.<\/p>\n<p><strong>August<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program&#8217;s mission statement and goals<br \/>\nSunday school start up tasks<br \/>\nLast minute recruiting<br \/>\nArrange for committee member to greet new families<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nRevise and print Sunday school prospectus<br \/>\nLast-minute recruitment of teachers and advisors as needed<br \/>\nBuy any needed books and curriculums<br \/>\nChase down curriculum books not returned<br \/>\nGenerate final attendance lists for each age group<br \/>\nClean up supply closet<br \/>\nCheck supplies in each classroom<br \/>\nFinalize room assignments for Sunday mornings<br \/>\nPlanning teacher training<br \/>\nBegin weekly meetings with parish minister<\/p>\n<p><strong>September<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nPlans for following up with new families<br \/>\nGo over progress of start-up &#038; recruitment<br \/>\nLooking ahead: Hallowe&#8217;en Party<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nConduct fall teacher orientation and safety training<br \/>\nGet to know new families<br \/>\nOngoing start-up tasks (see August list)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;District events:<br \/>\nQuarterly religious educator\u2019s meeting<\/p>\n<p><strong>October<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nLast minute planning: Hallowe&#8217;en Party<br \/>\nLooking ahead: Holiday craft fair<br \/>\nLooking ahead: Winter OWL (gr. K-2, gr. 4-6 in alternate years)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nSunday school fire drill<br \/>\nOngoing start-up tasks<br \/>\nReview church school attendance and registration<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;District events:<br \/>\nDistrict fall meeting<\/p>\n<p><strong>November<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nReview RE program spending for previous year<br \/>\nApprove budget requests for next year<br \/>\nLast minute planning: Holiday Crafts Party<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nPlan for Holiday Crafts Fair<\/p>\n<p><strong>December<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nPlan to send out mid-year Sunday school evals in early January<br \/>\nAdvance planning for Coming of Age program or OWL grades 7-8<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;(alternate years)<br \/>\nLast minute planning: Winter OWL (gr. K-2, gr. 4-6 in alternate<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;years)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nArrange for Sunday between Christmas and New Year\u2019s<br \/>\nSend out evaluation forms to fall teachers<br \/>\nRevise (if necessary) and reprint Sunday school prospectus<br \/>\nPlan January teacher workshop<br \/>\nConduct mid-year staff evaluations, submit staff budget requests<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;District events:<br \/>\nQuarterly religious educator\u2019s meeting<\/p>\n<p><strong>January<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nSend out mid-year evals<br \/>\nBegin planning curriculum for following church year<br \/>\nLooking ahead: Easter egg hunt in March or April<br \/>\nLooking ahead: Sunday school Open House in March<br \/>\nLooking ahead: Spring project and RE Sunday in May<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nCheck supplies, reorder as necessary<br \/>\nResearch any new published curriculums for next year<br \/>\nPlan for spring project<br \/>\nRecruit leadership for spring project<\/p>\n<p><strong>February<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nReview mid-year evals<br \/>\nVisioning and long-range planning for next church year<br \/>\nFinalize curriculum, and determine age groupings for next year<br \/>\nFinalize special events calendar for next year<br \/>\nLast-minute planning: Easter egg hunt [if Easter in March]<br \/>\nLast minute planning: Sunday school Open House<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nMake curriculum recommendations to RE Committee<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;District events:<br \/>\nLREDA chapter retreat<\/p>\n<p><strong>March<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nCheck in with youth advisors and youth leaders, and engage in<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;visioning for next year<br \/>\nSet specific objectives for the program for next year<br \/>\nBegin collecting data for annual report<br \/>\nLast minute planning: Spring project<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nFinalize planning for spring project<br \/>\nFinalize recruitment for spring project<br \/>\nOrientation for spring project volunteers<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;District events:<br \/>\nQuarterly religious educator\u2019s meeting<\/p>\n<p><strong>April<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nYearly evaluation (of Sunday morning program, of youth<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;ministries, of objectives and goals, of committee)<br \/>\nWrite Annual report for May meeting<br \/>\nReview performance of DRE, and share findings with parish<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;minister (DRE&#8217;s immediate supervisor)<br \/>\nLooking ahead: summer Sunday school planning<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nBegin recruiting key volunteers for next year<br \/>\nRegistration for following year begins<br \/>\nWork on spring project<\/p>\n<p><strong>May<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nSet final calendar for next year (special events, teacher trainings, etc.)<br \/>\nRecruit teachers and advisors for next year<br \/>\nCheck references for teachers\/advisors<br \/>\nReview of responsibilities and portfolios of committee members<br \/>\nRE Committee membership for next year<br \/>\nRE Committee chair for next year<br \/>\nLast-minute planning: Summer Sunday school<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview DRE annual goals<br \/>\nWork on spring project<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;District events:<br \/>\nDistrict annual meeting<\/p>\n<p><strong>June<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee meeting:<br \/>\nReview RE program mission statement and goals<br \/>\nBegin summer Sunday school<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nReview existing DRE annual goals<br \/>\nGet annual review, set new goals<br \/>\nReview RE staff (child care worker, RE asst.)<br \/>\nTie up loose ends before summer<br \/>\nBegin study leave<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;Denominational event:<br \/>\nGeneral Assembly<\/p>\n<p><strong>July<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;RE Committee:<br \/>\nNo meeting<br \/>\nContinue with summer Sunday school<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;DRE tasks:<br \/>\nStudy leave, vacation<br \/>\nAttend summer RE conference<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starting tomorrow, I&#8217;m going to be leading a workshop for new Directors of Religious Education (DREs). With the thought that this workshop might be useful to others, I&#8217;m going to post summaries of what we cover each day. To start off, I&#8217;ll post the three key handouts which I&#8217;ll hand out at the beginning of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[526],"class_list":["post-7187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-religious-education","tag-new-dre-workshop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7187"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7194,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187\/revisions\/7194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}