Tag: Catholic Teachers

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Catholic School Teacher Begins Career with Miracle

Kolleen MurrayOne of the great pleasures of teaching in Catholic schools is the inspiration I receive daily from my colleagues. It’s a privilege to work with such dedicated, faith-filled people who tirelessly strive to build up the Kingdom of God. One of those witnesses to faith is my teaching partner, Kolleen Murray. Kolleen and I have worked together for over a decade teaching eighth graders at All Saints Catholic School in Spokane, Washington. This year Kolleen received the NCEA’s Distinguished Teacher Award, and was featured in an article on Catholic Schools Week by Our Sunday Visitor:

Murray, 50, is one of 12 current National Catholic Educators of the Year, recognition given by the National Catholic Education Association, and she represents five Western states. She has been a teacher for 12 years and currently teaches an eighth-grade class at All Saints Catholic High School in Spokane, Wash.

And it began, she said, with somewhat of a miracle.

Murray was hired in May 2000, and in June, she wrecked on a bike, sustaining a traumatic brain injury that landed her in the hospital for two weeks and in rehabilitation for months. During that time, teachers brought food and cleaned her house. Kathy Hicks, her principal, came to walk with her arm in arm.

“I told her that she needed to hire someone else,” Murray said. “But she told me that she would teach my classes, and her colleagues would teach my classes, until I got better. That is the miracle of this ministry, that Kathy would not hire someone else. I came to this ministry with a very grateful heart. Can you imagine so much support and so much love? It was beautiful.”

Murray could teach for only two hours each morning when classes resumed, and by October, her strength returned.

“The students knew from Day One that I had a brain injury, and that it would be we as a community, we as the body of Christ, that would facilitate the learning,” she said.

Read more about Kolleen and Catholic schools, including an interview with our superintendent Duane Schafer, at Our Sunday Visitor.

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“She put her whole heart and soul into teaching”

Mary Lou Green
Picture from Columbustelegram.com

On Christmas Day, Catholic education lost a devoted teacher. Though I hadn’t heard of Mary Lou Green before this news story, she sounds like a wonderful person and a true blessing to Nebraska’s St. Isidore Catholic School. A few highlights:

In 1964, she became one of the first teachers, and the only lay teacher, at the new St. Isidore school. She spent the next 45 years there and retired in 2009.

Teacher Kristi Bruns worked 24 years at St. Isidore with Green, and said Green taught through example.

“She was extremely dedicated. She put her whole heart and soul into teaching. Her life was her students. She loved watching them succeed. She had compassion for kids, not just in education, but for them as people,” Bruns said.

One of the programs Green initiated at St. Isidore in 1981 was History Day. Many of her students over the years won state competitions and qualified for nationals through the program.

Read more about her life here.

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12 of My Favorites in Catholic Media

Sitting at home sick today I discovered–thanks to tweets by Barb Gilman and Nancy Caraminico–that it was Catholic Media Promotion Day. I don’t know how I missed hearing about this, but I’m glad I found out in time. According to the CMPD Facebook page, Catholics with blogs should post their favorites in the following categories:Catholic Media Promotion Day

  • 3 blogs
  • 3 podcasts
  • 3 other media
  • 3 random Catholic things online
  • their own projects

In addition, Catholics are asked to visit iTunes and leave 3 positive review for podcasts and apps.

Here are my contributions, heavily biased by my current interests in Catholic education and deacon formation:

Blogs that I Never Skip:

  • The Deacon’s Bench – Of all the blogs I read, I look forward to this one the most.
  • Engaging Faith – Superb effort from Ave Maria Press to share practical lesson plans and activities for Catholic educators and catechists.
  • CNS Blog – An essential source for Catholic news.

Podcasts I Can’t Do Without:

Other Must-See Media

  • Catholic TV, iCatholic Digital Magazine and the iCatholic Community – I can’t say enough about how much I admire and appreciate what the Archdiocese of Boston is doing in the realm of new media. Between their TV network, their digital magazine, their gorgeous iPad app and their online community, they are paving the way for Catholic evangelization in the 21st century. This is what all Catholic media should aspire to–high quality in every respect.
  • iBreviary Pro Terra Sancta – This is the greatest Catholic app in iTunes, hands down. The complete Liturgy of the Hours, Mass readings, Catholic rites, prayers–and all for FREE. An absolute must for all Catholic iPhone, iPod or iPad users. There is no reason for this app not to be on the mobile Apple device of every Catholic.
  • ACE Advocates for Catholic Schools – If you care anything at all for Catholic education, then I implore you to join this initiative from the University of Notre Dame. ACE Advocates will keep you up to speed on Catholic school initiatives and events, and connect you with others who share the same love for Catholic education.

3 Random Catholic Things Online

My Own Projects:

  • Catholic School Chronicle
    • Website – You’re here; stay current on Catholic school news, events and resources by subscribing via RSS or email using the links in the right sidebar.
    • Facebook page – Connect with CSC on Facebook by liking the Catholic School Chronicle Facebook page. Be sure to leave your own thoughts, comments and resources on our wall. We’d love to hear about the positive impact of Catholic education in your community.
    • Catholic School Chronicle on Twitter – A steady stream of Catholic school news.
  • ROMAN Reading – Support literacy and independent publishing by purchasing ROMAN Reading: 5 Essential Skills for Transforming Your Life Through Literature. This practice edition includes stories by Chekhov, Tolstoy and Dickens, and is also available in ebook format. Perfect for students of all ages.
  • Catholic School Minute – Finally, announcing our newest initiative, Catholic School Minute, student-produced news for Catholic classrooms. Look for a full article about this crowd-source project in the days to come, but here’s a brief summary:
    • Catholic School Chronicle is calling on all Catholic teachers who use technology in the classroom to have their students create one-minute videos of Catholic news items. Once these videos are posted on YouTube they can be added to the Catholic School Minute blog feed so that Catholic schools all over the country can use these videos in the classroom with students.

There were many great blogs and resources that I would have liked to list above. For more of my favorite Catholic media sites, see the related posts below and the Links of Interest in the left sidebar.

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Inject Some Enthusiasm into Your Teaching with this ACE Video

Mustache Math
Mustache Math

There’s nothing like youthful enthusiasm, as these young teachers from Notre Dame’s ACE program demonstrate. I smiled for the entire 18 minutes watching this video. I especially liked Mustache Math at about 8:50. We need more Catholic teachers to share their stories like this. If you haven’t yet visited the website for Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education, I highly recommend it. What a great gift to Catholic education.

I’ve had the pleasure of being on the Notre Dame campus twice for ND Vision, but have never visited the ACE offices. The next time I go back there I will certainly be stopping in to meet the people behind this remarkable program.

ACE 16 from ACEatND on Vimeo.

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A Catholic Teacher Issues a Challenge

What is the biggest challenge you see facing Catholic education today? In the following interview excerpt, Alan Grant of Sts. Peter and Paul School in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, issues a call to active evangelization by Catholic schools:

Alan Grant

I guess the biggest challenge that I’d like to pose to those involved in Catholic schools in particular is we need to work out where the Church can find young people and connect with young people. Traditionally I think we’ve been quite lucky that people have come to the Church and the Church has therefore had that opportunity to connect; now, I think it’s more a case of the Church needing to find these young people and find ways to connect with them. I think young people have that desire still, I don’t think that’s changed, and obviously what the Catholic Church is and has to offer is as rich now and as needed now as it has ever been; but I think there’s less opportunity for connection now, and the Church, I think, has to take the initiative and make those connections. We need to take the Church and take it to young people, encourage young people and give young people opportunities to engage with the Church.

How can we as Catholic educators respond to that challenge? Are we making connections with our students? Are we reaching them where they are at? For instance, how many of our schools have a Facebook page? A Twitter account? Are we communicating via text messaging? These new technologies define the world in which our students live and breath each day.

I disagree with Grant that there’s less opportunity for connection now, but I think he’s dead on about the Church needing to be more proactive with young people. What do you think?

Here’s the full interview: