“Indeed, the developing adolescent is frequently immersed in existential questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? How do I make moral decisions? Whom should I love and how should I love them? What is sacred and what is taboo? In what or whom should I place my trust?” (Toshalis 190)

     This article discusses a very important and at times controversial topic: what is the role of (public) schools in the education of faith? Legally, in public school teachers and administrators are not to include religion in the classroom; they should, however, open the space for students to discover for themselves who they are. Educators do this by creating a sense of inclusion, where the student feels invited, embraced, and that he or she is a part of something. Teachers should allow for questions beyond curriculum content, because for many, school is the only outlet where questions of self can be explored.

     Three questions arise after reading the text: 1) If adolescents aren’t given the opportunity to explore other religions at home (family is either Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc.) in an effort to give them a choice of what faith to believe in, would school be the correct setting for this learning? To answer my own question, parents could potentially become furious, but then again, students would be given a safe space to explore what it means to be of another faith. 2) Should it be a part of a teacher’s job description? Is it ethical? And finally, 3) Should students be taught that it is ok not to be religious? That it is ok to be agnostic or atheist?

     On a side note, the article mentions that educators should push “adolescents to go beyond their perceived limits”. Through my personal experience, I believe studying abroad is one of the greatest gifts to adolescents. They are thrown into an environment they have never experienced, immersed fully in the culture, gain a new language, make connections that would not otherwise be possible at home, grow immensely through independent growth (without the guidance of their parents), make unforgettable memories, and return home a new individual.

     On another personal note, the role of school in the teaching of faith and religion reminded me of my student teaching placement last year in Madrid. I was in a Catholic school, which is the norm for Spain. While student teaching, I was occasionally asked to make special lesson plans for holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas in an effort to teach the American traditions to these European elementary students. However, it was always a requirement to teach through  a Catholic lens. Additionally, Halloween proved to be a controversial holiday among the nuns at the school (all administrators were sisters) as the “death” aspect of the holiday conflicted with the idea of a heaven. That year I was asked to recite the morning prayer (Hail Mary) in English every Thursday, and out of fear of being fired or scaring the administrators, I never shared that I am Muslim; though it never bothered me to do perform this ritual.