On Saturday, September 15, 2012, St. Tikhon's Seminary, in cooperation with the Orthodox Christian Education Commission and the OCA Diocese of Eastern PA hosted a day-long Teacher Training Workshop, open to all students and their wives, as well as religious educators and church school coordinators of all jurisdictions in the local area.  Some forty people attended from as far away as upstate NY.  The Orthodox Christian Education Commission has been presenting these workshops for the past ten years in the US and Canada, and St. Tikhon's Seminary and St. Vladimir have hosted several for its students and their wives as training for parish ministry in education. 

Presenters included:  Mat. Myra Kovalak, Director of the OCEC Teacher Training Dept. and member of the OCA Dept. of Christian Education, Carole Buleza, Director of the Antiochian Archdiocese Dept. of Christian Education, Father George Alberts, pastor of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Danbury, CT. and Diocesan Coordinator Charleston Oakland, PA and the East, Antiochian Archdiocese, Kh. Anna Hughes of Methuen, MA, Diocesan Coordinator of New England, Antiochian Archdiocese, Maria Proch, Chair, Dept. of Religious Education and Curriculum for the OCA Diocese of Eastern PA and member of the OCA Dept. of Christian Education, and Matthew Hatrak, member of the OCEC Teacher Training Dept.  

The available tracks of study included:  Teacher Training I:  Overview of Orthodoxy, Introduction to Teaching, and Curriculum and Resources.  Church School Director sessions on how to organize, develop and enhance the local parish church school program.  Teacher Training II tracks each ran three sessions in the Elementary and Middle High School levels, including sessions on Child Development and the Exceptional Learner, Enriching the Classroom Experience, Adolescent Needs, Moral Issues Overview, and Creative Expression.

The students and their wives, as well as those present were enthusiastic about the day’s sessions.  Comments like:  “Great Church School Director Manual!” and, “I learned things I had not considered before,” were indications that the workshop was a success.

We thank Father Alexander and Kh. Olga Atty for hosting, as well as all students who helped coordinate the day’s events.  We hope to continue to offer these workshops in the future.