A pleasing balance

There has been a four-year degree, lots of placements and more than three-years teaching experience, but Jessie McMaster is not yet finished with study.

Jessie McMaster says there have been many benefits in studying theology at Youthworks’ Centre for Christian Education (CCE).

One has been getting in touch with the Bible generally, and being able to apply aspects of it in the classroom.

“It's been excellent to have a serious reflection on what the Bible says about teaching.” Jessie says. “It’s effectively a pause on regular life and I’m really enjoying this.”
- Jessie McMaster

“I've never really considered the Bible this much. Yes, I have in my Christian walk, but not actually stopped and thought about it deeply.”

Jessie is working part-time at Wollondilly Anglican College in Tahmoor, south of Sydney. She is at CCE Mondays and Tuesdays, and teaches primary Christian Studies and Music on Thursdays and Fridays. 

“I am loving the balance between study, my placement and church,” she says. “It’s great to be able to apply what I'm learning immediately and not in the future.”

In particular, she cites the Doctrine subject at CCE and what that means in teaching the church:

“This year I've made the decision to teach a catechism in Christian Studies for years 5 and 6 - that's been cool.”

She says another bonus has been the Formative Christian Teaching subject. In  particular, thinking about the whole world of education, and how teaching Christianly in both the Christian and public system fits into that.

It helps, she says, having already studied and having experience in teaching. “And having colleagues check-in about study and ask questions has been a real joy,” she says.

“Life has aligned to give me an opportunity to study. God has opened that door.”

Jessie is so enthused with CCE she’s toying with the idea of doing another year, making her study an associate degree:

“There are no barriers so I’m considering it. But then I’d go back into the education world because it’s a lot of fun and a great opportunity to share God with the kids.”