I am Not a Stereotype – Sian Devine

I’m sure we have all been there: you start talking to somebody and they ask what you do. You say you teach RE and the next thing, ‘oh, so you are religious then?’  This question puzzles me more than the ultimate questions we deal with on a daily basis as it so often comes from people who I consider intelligent and understanding and usually from people who know me.

Upon returning from a recent RE conference I had the following conversation with my friend, Charlotte:

Charlotte: ‘did you have a nice time?’

Me: ‘yeah it was really good, got loads of great ideas.’

Charlotte: ‘were you the only non-typical RE teacher there?’

Me: ‘what do you mean by that?’

Charlotte: ‘you know, you’re not what RE teachers are like’

Me: ‘you mean I’m not 60 and a nun??’

Charlotte: ‘Exactly!’

Now, whilst I accept that Charlotte’s perceptions may be skewed somewhat by the fact we attended a Church school in our younger days, it is one that I have met time and time again from friends, strangers and colleagues alike. Each time I encounter this opinion I can’t help but wonder why there is such a stereotype existing with regards to teachers of Religious Education/ Studies. What is it about the subject that causes people to make such assumptions?

However, even whilst writing this I wonder what it is that bothers me so much about this idea. Is it just that I hate stereotypes or is there still a part of me that is worried what other people think about me and religion? I spend my days trying to ensure children feel comfortable with their beliefs and teaching that there is no shame in belonging to a religion. Yet I still find myself saying to people, ‘don’t worry, I’m not religious’ when I tell them about my job.

I asked teachers of RE/RS and other subjects for their opinions on religious beliefs and stereotypes.  Unsurprisingly most of those that felt teachers of RE/RS were religious didn’t teach it themselves. The main difference in response between RE/ RS teachers and those from other subjects, was that Religious Education/ Studies teachers felt more inclined to describe their individual beliefs, whereas teachers of other subjects were quite happy to label themselves Christian whilst also telling me they were not religious.

I have found the best way of dealing with assumptions regarding the religiosity of RE/RS teachers is to tackle the issue head on. When asked, I respond with equal stereotypes that people don’t consider: all science teachers build rockets and dissect toads in their spare time; all geography teachers are explorers; and all history teachers are hundreds of years old. Some teachers of religion are religious but many aren’t. Religion and faith are such a massive part of our world it would be naïve to assume that the only people interested are those involved in religion on a personal level.

As for Charlotte, yesterday she added a new reason why I am not a typical RE teacher – I don’t wear a brown cardigan. Little does she know …

Sian Devine