Down, across, down once more ...

Charlotte Braddock - kindergarten teacher:

Recently at our school, we were asked to think about our Catholic identity, and how we could build this up even more. While reflecting on this vast goal, I was reminded of a particularly amusing, yet profoundly amazing, story dealing with one of my five year old students. This young student was having some difficulty forming her numbers. Despite my efforts to describe the process of writing a four using a catchy phrase, her numbers continued to appear quite odd during our whole group instruction.

One day I went to After School Care to work with her one-on-one on these peculiar looking fours. I sat down beside her and began describing the process by saying, “Down, across, down once more, that’s the way to make a four.” Only to be puzzled once again by her interpretation of my instructions. However, I did not give up. I slowed the process down even more saying, “Down, across.” At this point, the light bulb went off inside my head! Her Catholic identity was shining through her writing. She was drawing a line down and then turning it into a CROSS!

My Biggest Reward

Shannon Cassmeyer - junior high teacher:

The biggest reward I have received as a teacher is the satisfaction of knowing I have reached a student and provided him with the helping hand or guidance he was in need of at a certain time.

As a teacher, every day I am here reaching out to the students in my various classes through the material, subject matter, and lessons of the day, but I also reach out to them on a personal level. I want to help and get to know these students on a personal basis, as we all are God’s children. As a Catholic school teacher, I want to be a Christian model for the students whether it is at school in the classroom or playing football at recess, but I also want them to see me as that model when out in the community, on a field trip, or at a sporting event.

Around four or five years ago, I had a few young ladies who were struggling with some of the abstract concepts in a literature set we were reading in literature class. I gave them the opportunity to spend some extra time with me to understand the concepts since they had a test approaching soon. A few of these girls were also on the soccer team I was coaching – which these girls asked me to do. I was able to give them help on the field and get to know them on a personal level as well as help them in the classroom. The week we had the test we also had a game on the following Saturday. The test went very well and the girls were very proud of themselves. The game also went well as we won by two goals.

I was very proud and happy knowing that these students “got it” in the classroom and that I was able to guide them on the field to use their skills to obtain a victory.

My biggest reward is the satisfaction of knowing I reached a student and he was successful and proud of it.

Kindergarten Favorites

Braddock - Kindergarten Teacher:

Recently, the afternoon kindergarten students drew pictures of their favorite Bible stories that we learned about this year. Next, they wrote about their pictures and talked about the stories. Here are the results of this short-term assignment. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as Mrs. Jurgovan and I did.

When Jesus rose from the dead. Then an angel watched him come back to life. The angel told Mary that Jesus rose from the dead. She went to find Jesus alive. By: Peyton

Jesus was asleep at the head of the boat. By: Marcy

When Jesus told Thomas to touch his marks, and when Jesus stopped the water and the wind, and when Jesus died on the cross. By: Sophey

I learned about when Jesus was asleep at the head of the boat, when Jesus rose from the dead, and whenever Jesus turned water into wine. By: Ben

Pope Benedict came. Jesus had many miracles. By: Andrew

I love Jesus. I love my friends. Two fish and five loaves of bread were enough for all the people. Jesus was put on a cross. Jesus rose from the dead. They went out to the ocean to catch fish. By: Trevor

I learned about Jesus. By Emily Noel

I liked when Jesus calmed down the wind and the rain. When Jesus walked on the water. Then Peter tried to walk on the water. He fell. By: Carley

I learned about when Moses lifted up the water. He led the people across the water. Jesus rose from the dead. He came back to life. They touched Jesus’ holes in his hands and feet. He told them go tell the disciples. By: Malachi

I learned about when Jesus was asleep at the head of the boat. The storm was a wailing; the crew was a praying. Then Jesus said “Calm down.” And all of the wind and lightening calmed down. Don’t be afraid. By: Owen

Jesus hung on the cross. By: Anna

I learned about Noah’s boat and the rainbow. Jesus rose from the dead. Then he broke bread with two people. By: Evan

When Jesus died on the cross. Then came back alive. He arose from the deadness. They pushed the stone so no one could take the body. She looked around. Go tell my people. When Jesus broke the bread, they believed it was Jesus. By: Sage

I learned how Jesus lifted the net. Then the fish came in! By: Grace

I learned about when Thomas touched Jesus’ nail marks. By: Sam

I learned about Jesus walking on water. I liked when Peter and Jesus walked on the water. Peter didn’t believe he could walk on water. Peter was sinking. Jesus stopped Peter. Jesus got Peter, and they got in the boat.
By: Garrett

Jesus died on the cross. By: Tanner

Jesus walked on the water. When Jesus prayed on the mountain. By: Bo

I learned about Jesus dying on the cross and being placed in the tomb. I liked the story about Jesus walking on water. By: Gavin

I learned about Jesus dying on the cross. By: Will

When the Angel came with a bright light and she told the lady to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen. Peter and Andrew came back to the tomb and the saw the empty tomb. I also remember a big storm, and they thought Jesus was a ghost walking on the water. Then another disciple walked on the water. By: Ally

I learned about when Jesus died. Then he came back to life. By: Emmie

I learned about when Jesus was walking on water no one else could, but he could. When he was asleep at the head of the boat. The apostles said, “Why don’t you care!” It was windy. He stopped it. God died on the cross. He was placed in the tomb. By: Emily Rose

The Holy Spirit is in My Heart

Sarah Luebbert - fourth grade:

The Holy Spirit is in my heart
Helping me to do my part
A small flame like a fire
Raising me up higher and higher
Teaching me how to be nice and kind
Always, forever, in my mind
Holy Spirit help me each day
Help me to love in every way.

The Biggest Reward

Debbie Buschjost - 3rd grade teacher:

The biggest reward I have with being a teacher has always been the excitement in my students. There are endless ways that students show excitement almost everyday; however, there are two specific areas that are most rewarding for me.

The first one would be the excitement my students show in the "at home" projects we do. With these projects, students are given an assignment usually to create a model, poster, or 3-D image of something to do with the topic we are learning. Every time I assign these projects I really stress to the students to keep their ideas to themselves and have the project be a total surprise to the other students and myself. I love when students bring these to school on presentation day. They are so excited to present their own actual work of art and it is at those times that their creativity really shines. It is then that I feel rewarded in being a teacher. To have my students so excited about what they have learned and so eager to share it with everyone else.

The second area that is rewarding to me is the excitement my students have when I, their teacher, show interest in their lives outside of the classroom. Something as small as attending their basketball games or sitting by them during the weekend Mass makes them feel so important. It has always been very rewarding to me when my students have asked me to attend an extracurricular activity. For them to want you to be a part of that has always shown that they respect you more than just the teacher they are "stuck" with during the day - five days a week. In closing, then I would say that my biggest reward of being a teacher - is not only the times when my students really shine and show off their creativity, excitement, and ability, but when they ask me to be there to witness them achieve their goals.