Course Evaluations
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory: Level 1 Part A
Formation Facilitators:
Registrar:
Shelley Finkler
Caroline Knickle
Rhiannon Jensen
Part 1 - Formation Experience
The Pace
The pace was good - I never felt overwhelmed nor bored.
Lovely setting , both the church Hall & the Atrium for hands on demos.,
Okay
Overall, it felt slow and peaceful. Specially in the first two days. The pace started to feel rushed after day 2 with reflections and writing album pages. I wish we would have been given more time to go through the reflections in a slower pace, and also have more time writing album pages. I think there is so much wisdom in the reflections and it would have been nice to have more time with them (they always felt rushed).
The pace was effective. It could be more meditative if there were less adjustments to the schedule.
There was a plan for reflection and discussion on the course readings each day, but there wasn't time made for that to happen. While this took some pressure off to complete the readings each evening, it still could have been fruitful conversation and made the time more retreat-like.
Reflection time as a group(s) on the adult reflection talks would have been nice as well as a chance to grow individually and as community in understanding of faith and shared experiences.
good
I was feeling rush at the beginning because we couldn’t get access to the computer or internet on time
Excellent. There seemed to be ample time built in to the schedule for many questions and side discussions. It never felt rushed and we always ended on time.
Perfect.
The Presentations
Shelley and Rhiannon were excellent in their presentations - peaceful but captivating.
Excellent ! REALLY lovely , peaceful and thoughtful !
Systematic. I like Shelly's way of teaching and Rhiannon's wisdom and random jokes that breaks the ice. I like how our simple questions are being answered.
Beautiful. I felt like I had a good amount of time to receive them and sit with them. The presentations on day 1 are a bit of burr (I was still figuring out the order of things and getting my bearings on things). I wish we would have walked through the outline of the order of the presentations on day 1 (this would have helped me get a bigger picture of where each one fit). Having walked through the big picture of what was to come would have also helped to understand where and how the celebration presentations fit in. Because I didn't quite have the big picture clear in my head, I felt like the presentations were jumping from theme to theme (like there was no order to them, even though there is).
There was good time given to this and good reflections as a group afterwards. It could help to have a better "big picture" understanding of where the presentations 'fit' in terms of type and timing in the year. It would have been nice to have a demonstration of the pouring work as it was noted to be a foundational skill to other works.
good
It was lovely I wish I could there as a child forever
The two presenters complimented each other. Different delivery styles and personalities, but obviously both on the same page and collaborative. They were well-prepared for the day.
Well spoken
Album Page Writing
Challenging but not overly so. It was helpful to do it in a group to get multiple ideas and perspectives.
This was a little tricky & challenging to get the ‘hang of’ but practice makes perfect!
It was made easy because of doing it by group and it would be really nice if we did it by hand writing and discuss right away together not in Google Drive and work it out later. It would be nice to finish everything before we go home.
Not enough time. I felt like this wasn't given the space and time that it needed. I felt like this part of the day always felt rushed. I understand the value and purpose of writing our own album pages (I am oh so excited to write my own). The course would have to be much longer to allow each participant time for this, so I understand that the purpose wasn't for us to write them all. Writing them with a group was challenging (I would have preferred to write them on my own), but at the end I am grateful I did it with a group (many fruits and blessings came from that). This part of the course was a good way to get my feet wet with writing album pages. (It may be helpful for participants if this part of the course is presented as "we are trying to help you get your feet wet. These are not your final album pages. You will be able to go back to them and make them your own.")
This was nice to do in the group of just 2-3 as we all had slightly different notes and we could sort out the essential parts. The table resource was really helpful. Having a template page with the example of model altar that we went through and made together in the big group was good- but having another template page with guiding questions would also be useful. It got confusing about what the "Christian message" and the purpose of the "Indirect Aims" were sometimes.
Not enough time
I am so happy the instructors were flexible and did not let leave this piece for the end of the day.
Liked that we could work in groups and that the finished product is something we can individually build on ourselves to create our own unique album pages. There was enough time to work on them, the template was helpful. It was also good to have a heads-up as to which album page we would be writing on since we then only had to take notes at that particular presentation, and were free to absorb and listen to the other presentations without distraction.
Good practice.
Practicum Sessions
These helped me to realize that the process is not as simple as it looks and also how important it would be to have personalized album pages. Its hard to read and interpret someone else's work.
I loved these. Nothing to add.
Wish I have more time to do it
Helpful. It would have been helpful to start practicum session right after day 1 (I think we started them on day 3?). I am not sure if practicum sessions were part of the original plan for the day. The sessions felt a little crammed. 1 hour for practicum sessions would have been nice.
These were very helpful to work through, and a bit more opportunity to practice these would be nice- even if it was outside of the scheduled course time. Having some direction/expectation clearly made to the whole group about the person who takes the role of the child may be helpful- for example, if/ how to provide constructive feedback. Having handouts with blank text boxes and the titles of the presentations would be a helpful resource to be able to jot notes in a quick and organized way while 'figuring out' the work by practicing the presentations-and be useful in adapting the collective group album pages to more personal notations after the course.
not enough
This made my learning concrete
Great! Really appreciated these. I liked how at the last practicum sessions, we were able to use album pages that our group had written; it brought the album page writing exercise full circle.
Helped.
How the Course Fed Participants Spiritually
In many many ways, but most notably I realized my need to slow down and be present with Christ, especially in and through my children.
When I first entered this Atrium I wanted to cry. One is for sure moved in ways that are beyond words. I feel God brought me home…..after wondering in a desert for 40 years.
Daily Mass
Beautifully. It is just now starting to settle and sink in. God used this time to bring about a deeper conversion in me. I am so grateful.
It was beautiful to spend so much time with other people who sincerely love Jesus and want to listen more deeply to the Lord's still, small voice.
excellent
The singing and the prayer feel me with hope and joy
The course felt like a retreat and I can see how if I went outside of Yukon to do a course, it could be more so without the distractions of being at home in the evening and distracted by chores, etc.. Also, in some ways, I became a child myself again, taking in all the wonder of the presentations, as well as learning some things about my faith and the Mass that I had never been taught.
Blessed.
What Participants will always remember about this course
the presenters were wonderful. They were so knowledgeable but humble and you could see that the Good Shepherd works uniquely through each catechist.
The instructors ! Formation leaders! In my other Church work , both Spiritual Direction and Hospital , Palliative care we had a saying ….’ The medium becomes the message’ The total dedication , devotion and TOTAL convincible ‘I’m ALL in & given to this work’ and conversation of heart to the work these women demonstrated was for me ENOUGH !!! To know from now on & ever after I have discovered the ‘pearl of great price’
Four planes of development
Right arrangement of material in an Atrium.
The people, the place. The Good Shepherd. And the Eucharist.
I appreciated how deeply the child is respected and honored in community and enabled to more fully participate in his/her own growing and knowing.
the community
The power of the Holy Spirit and how he made this possible up here. The importance of continuously fall in love with God .
I really appreciated how the presenters inserted their own anecdotes and real-life experiences with the children they worked with, especially the aha-moments that lifted them up spiritually.
The friendships I made.
What Participants would change
I would have appreciated more personal and group reflection time. I appreciate that there was a lot of business to get through but I think this would have aided in creating a retreat atmosphere.
ONLY one small thing! Each instructor was VERY , very good ! FOR SURE the best in their own right! However , I found that given their different ways of practise , naturally one finds the other is slightly different in practise…..they would have an open discussion in front of the whole class.given my very dyslexic mind , I found this very confusing. And a little distressing.To my mind these discussions should be carried out in private. Just saying.
The discipline of time, I like when the bell rings and someone would say, let's go back to work
Predictability - we know what we will do this morning, this afternoon and what we will do tomorrow to be able to easily organize things in my mind
Emptier days. Less full days. Either more days or longer days (like coming back in the evening for an evening session or something of that nature). Other than that, nothing else.
It would be nice to have the daily content also loosely connected to expectations for timing/duration so to have a better picture of how the day will/ could unfold. Meeting a need for order while allowing for flexibility.
I felt more ready to listen/reflect on the adult reflections in the morning and that a structure of having these talks in the morning- break- atrium presentations- mass/lunch- album pages- practice time might have flowed better with my states of energy and attention and allowed for the engagement of participants even if individuals had different timing/needs on any day (like needing more or less time for the album page or wanting more practice time). Otherwise, sometimes people were not engaged in an activity while waiting for the group while others felt pressure to finish their album pages because they were holding things up for everyone.
Or having some presentations in the morning after reflections and some could be writing album pages from the presentations received in the morning while others had practice time in the atrium. Then switching group assignments in the afternoon- having the remaining presentations after lunch and then album writing/practice time following and closing the day with an adult and group reflection on the day's work.
This would have enabled more practice because sometimes the station/resources desired were in use by other participants when we were all doing practice at the same time.
longer breaks
I would like to have the photocopies with pages number.
I can't think of anything. Even the way the venue was beautifully set up with tablecloths and flowers contributed to the whole atmosphere of the course.
Nothing.
Part 2 - Formation Team and Course Host
Feedback for Formation Team
The handouts(mostly the order in which we received them) was confusing. Having those more coordinated would have been helpful.
Get ready to be totally consumed for 7 WHOLE days!
Generally a great learning experience, thank you!
Shelly, down to earth, knowledgeable and kind
Rhiannon, full of wisdom
Shelley and Rhiannon, thank you for guidance. Thank you for being so attentive and generous in all your sharing.
A general comment: Being more aware you are staying on topic and keeping to the time and schedule. Sometimes the conversations went on different tangents (they were all relevant, but sometimes the conversation went on a little too long). For the most part you were good at keeping us on track and on time, thank you.
Your energy together was inspiring and you are both such wonderful and experienced catechesists that it was a treasure to hear your wisdom. It did seem like you were sorting out just the logistics of co-presenting, which is understandable and of course the space for this growing is given and respected, but sometimes it seemed this need interrupted the flow of the day's activities and the sense of retreat/meditation as well as confusing sometimes. In your heads all the works and themes make sense- and restructuring daily plans makes sense- but it was sometimes overwhelming to try to understand this "big picture" of the catechesis and how everything 'fit' rather than just checking off the requirement on the syllabus and table.
It seemed sometimes that participants were interested in sharing experiences or connecting/building relationship and faith together from the content of the course but, except for the break times, there wasn't time available for this- except for at the house where some participants were rooming together and had opportunity outside of course hours.
great job
You transmitted so much joy and love
I know it's so much work to run an event like this. Thank you for taking it on. Now that we know what is involved, if you'd like, next time you could delegate certain tasks so you don't get burned out. With some advance notice, perhaps the work load could be spread out more. The whole setting was very relaxed and comfortable.
You knew your stuff
Feedback for Course Host
Let go & LET God! Do ALL that you can as though EVERYTHING depends wholly on YOU, and pray as though everything depends on God!
Wonderful experience, sooo beautiful quiet place! enjoyable, convenient, spiritually nourishing, Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Magic names: Caroline, Kathleen, Stella, Monica 💗
Caroline, you did an amazing job. Thank you. From getting snacks ready to preparing the room, to running the logistics, your work and presence did not go unnoticed. Your love for CGS is apparent and inspiring. Thank you.
One feedback: try to help the formators stay on time (specially if time is limited) to avoid taking time from other things in the schedule.
Well the hall was cold, which was distracting the first day but a bit refreshing when we had warmer outside weather. It was really nice to be so close to the church that we could attend daily mass. Snacks were wonderful- thank you so much for all the time and effort you have put in.
excellent!
It was amazing !!!! Thank you for nurturing us ❤️
The venue was simply, but beautifully set up with the table cloths, flowers and table decor. Really appreciate those small touches. Healthy snacks (and chocolates!) were also very much appreciated.
More than adequate. More than I deserved.
Part 3 - How can we help you continue to grow in this work?
How Participants Plan to Use Formation
Participants Who Would Like to Be Contacted re: Mentoring
Suggestions for Continued Support
Prayer. Net working! Continue to actively link and connect with like minded CGS members , where EVER & when ever possible! The fire is definitely catching!
Thank you for letting me join this Batch of Level 1 A &B through your generous support by means of scholarship.
Set afire the hearts of our Bishop and Clergy in our Diocese of Prince George so our program will get support from them and will continue to thrive, and our efforts and investment of time and resources will bear fruits. Please help us pray.
Please, if you can be available whenever I have questions, that would be great.
Thank you!
To be honest, I am not quite sure what it offers now. I am sure these questions will be answered as I go forward with this work: What does the CGSAC offer? How is it already supporting me? How can it support me better?
Information about upcoming courses to be certified in the other levels and materials manuals.
Having a required number of hours for the course seemed arbitrarily imposing and a bit disrespectful of different participants' previous knowledge and/or experiences and their time. Quite a bit of the general information was not new to me, and while I tried to hear with new ears and receive it with humility and openness to new inspiration of the Spirit, I found myself frustrated sometimes to be spending so much time on "facts" that were already familiar to me. (Though those auditing the class obviously were very familiar with the content and didn't seem to have this frustration, so it probably is merely my own spiritual growth that needs to happen.)
However, I felt I could have grown more with more time spent observing and participating in an atrium with mentorship and less on the summarization of themes and content of the course readings- though with just as much or more time on reflection on this content and practical application.
Perhaps this just speaks to my own need for growing in patience more than anything that needs to change in the course necessarily, but having an option for being able to read course materials, practice with (demonstration and application)through mentorship in an atrium, and connect regularly to reflect and be directed- even by distance- with a formation leader to progress through levels as a catechist would seem more respectful of the gifts and time of the individual participants and meet needs in the community in a more timely way. It would still be, even in such a modified format, a participation in community and personal passing of the gift and skill of this ministry through relationship. We meet the child where they are - can we not also meet the catechist?
Offering more training
List of places to access the materials
Provide space to ask questions as a catechist
It's amazing how many courses are being offered throughout Canada. Really appreciate that there is the option to also join in courses in the US. Although I don't need the bursary at this time, it's nice to know that it is there so that the fee is not an obstacle.