The Education Office of the Diocese of the Canary Islands has among its main objectives supporting the ongoing professional development of religion teachers, strengthening their pedagogical skills, and helping them to experience their work as a true vocation and ecclesial mission. Furthermore, it promotes opportunities for teachers from public, private, and charter schools to meet and coordinate, fostering the exchange of experiences and resources.

We spoke with the team from the Education Delegation, made up of Mr. Francisco López Armas, episcopal delegate, and Ms. M. Fátima Henríquez Pérez, episcopal sub-delegate, about how to support Religion teachers today and about the challenges posed by their mission in the classrooms of the Canary Islands.

What do they discover when they listen directly to Religion teachers about what they need today to do their job well?

The first thing we always discover is their great desire and interest in doing their job well and being an important role model for students and parents in their educational and personal development. We are all aware that students have changed, that the reality of families and schools is different, and that we need to find new ways to reach them.

Those of us at the Diocesan Delegation are constantly being asked by teachers for new tools and resources, new methodologies, and digital skills—all to address, through training, the diverse situations that arise daily in the classroom. But we also discover their need to feel accompanied and supported, both by the Delegation and by their fellow teachers. That’s why we do our best to be close to them, not only by offering training, but also by listening to their experiences, their needs and difficulties, as well as their achievements and hopes. Often, they themselves show us the way forward and how to do our work.

The Delegation is committed to uniting training and vocation. How can both dimensions be fostered together?

From our experience, we understand that these two realities cannot be separated. Training is necessary to perform our task well, but it also nurtures our vocation, and at the same time, our vocation is enriched and acquires greater meaning through training.

The vocation is strengthened when the teacher discovers that their work does not consist solely of transmitting content, but of accompanying children and young people in a fundamental stage of their lives, helping them to ask themselves questions about meaning, personhood, coexistence, hope and transcendence.

That’s why, at the Delegation, we understand continuing education as a holistic process: nurturing what we know, improving how we teach, and, at the same time, renewing what underpins our mission. When these three dimensions advance together, teachers can experience their profession with greater depth and enthusiasm.

What kind of training can really make a difference when the teacher returns to the classroom the next day?

We believe that truly transformative training is that which has a direct connection to the reality of the students we support in their personal and educational growth. We need to offer proposals that go beyond mere reflection, providing concrete resources and experiences that teachers can easily use and adapt to their students. This includes training in new methodologies, digital competence, attention to diversity, emotional education, and creativity—always connected to our subject matter and the specific students in front of us. But we also recognize that it’s not just about learning a new technique, but about opening new horizons, asking ourselves why we educate and how we can make the Religion class a meaningful space for students. That’s why we are committed to practical, up-to-date, participatory training linked to the situations our teachers experience. And, whenever possible, we want them to be the protagonists, sharing what they are already doing that can inspire other colleagues. We want training to also be a space for sharing what we do, learning, and discovering new possibilities together.

The Canary Islands encompass a wide range of educational realities. How can we create a community of teachers who learn from their own experiences?

This very diversity presents both a challenge and an asset. Working in a school in a city neighborhood is not the same as working in a school in a smaller town, just as the circumstances of a public, private, or charter school are not identical. However, all teachers share the same challenges and the same educational mission.

We remain committed to building networks and fostering spaces where teachers can meet, listen to one another, and share and exchange resources and experiences—however simple they may seem, they can be helpful to other colleagues facing similar situations. Ultimately, we want to ensure that no teacher feels they have to face the challenges of their work and their classroom alone, because we understand that communication fosters camaraderie and a sense of community among teachers.

What role do meetings between teachers play today in combating isolation and strengthening their professional identity?

As we have been saying, meetings among teachers play a fundamental role. We know that living in such a digitally connected society doesn’t mean people won’t feel lonely or even isolated, which is why personal interaction remains irreplaceable. We know that meeting with other teachers who are experiencing similar situations allows us to share concerns, but also to celebrate achievements and recharge. That’s why we are committed to making these meetings spaces for professional development, but also for camaraderie, listening, and celebration. We want teachers to be able to go home not only with new knowledge or materials, but with the feeling of belonging to a community that supports them and values ​​their work.

Furthermore, the meetings help to strengthen the professional and ecclesial identity of the Religion teacher and remind us that each teacher is part of a larger project and that their task always has a community dimension.

If you had to imagine the Religion teacher of the coming years, what should they know how to do, but also what should they be able to convey to their students?

It is clear that the Religion teacher of the coming years will need to be prepared for a rapidly changing reality. They will need to be familiar with new methodologies, use digital resources effectively, know how to work with diverse student profiles, and be willing to learn continuously. But there is also something they will need to continue doing: the ability to convey meaning.

The religion teacher must help students ask profound questions and discover that the spiritual dimension is an integral part of being human. They must be able to convey the value of human dignity, fraternity, respect, caring for others, commitment to society, and the hope that springs from the Gospel. And above all, they must be a witness, because students not only hear what we say but also perceive how we live what we teach.

That is why we envision a well-trained teacher, open to dialogue, close to his students, capable of working in community and deeply convinced that educating is a task that transforms life.

That is perhaps our greatest challenge: to train teachers who are prepared to teach, but also to support them so that they can experience their work as a true vocation and mission. If we achieve this, we will be helping not only to improve religious education, but also to help our students find people who will support their growth and help them discover a horizon of hope.