Tag: back to school

  • Understanding Christian Hope for a New School Year

    Understanding Christian Hope for a New School Year

    A group of college students sitting on steps laughingEvery new school year brings its own set of expectations for the future. I have a privileged position to reflect on this reality, as I teach senior theology, which includes a course on vocations. This opportunity inspires me to consider the Christian theological virtue of hope and its effect on the life to which Christians are called. 

    Many seniors at Catholic high schools come from families with means, whose hopes for the future involve attending a prestigious college, achieving professional success, and solidifying their legacy. One finds these hopes imparted well onto these young people. Every year I overhear the usual questions of “Where will you be attending school next year?” and “What will you be studying?” 

    LISTEN: Saints for the School Year: Holy Men and Women to Accompany Teachers

    Instilling hope for a successful college and professional career is a necessary step in procuring that future. These are noble goals that should offer opportunities for deeper growth in virtue. But hope for these things is a little different when considered through the lens of faith.

    In Spe Salvi, an encyclical which provides Pope Benedict’s treatment of the virtue of hope, he describes “one who has hope” as one who “lives differently” (2). Benedict sees hope through the lens of the Resurrection of Jesus. 

    Because hope is understood in light of the Resurrection, one’s death, but also one’s life, is viewed differently, particularly when it comes to God’s call for our lives. The early Christian martyrs died with hope for their resurrections because they had faith in the Resurrection of Jesus, but they also lived with hope before their martyrdom. This belief did not invalidate the deaths they faced; their individual lives and, more importantly, life itself were just more real. It was in the face of these seemingly hopeless circumstances that God’s purpose for them became clear. 

    RELATED: The Road to Emmaus: A Journey Toward Hope

    A common movie trope involves the hero realizing his weapon cannot pierce the monster’s scales from the outside, so he must be swallowed by it in order to defeat it. It appears as though the monster has won and hope seems lost, until the hero cuts himself out of the monster from the inside, both freeing himself and killing the monster. It was by initially relinquishing his power but maintaining the small strand of hope that success was possible. 

    There is a powerful metaphor here for the way Christ conquered death and established hope in the Resurrection. In the same way that God worked on humanity intrinsically: Allowing himself to be swallowed up by creation, by time, and ultimately by death, he could then cut his way out by the double-edged sword of his Word (cf. Heb 4:12). This is referred to as the kenosis, or self-emptying, of Jesus highlighted by St. Paul in Philippians 2:7.

    Kenosis is not only a foundational idea to historical orthodox Christology, but a foundation of Christian spirituality and an essential element to fostering hope. Through kenosis, we can see the proper way of viewing hope: How Christians are called to “live differently,” including how they see their vocations. One discovers a vocation through kenosis in recognizing their relationship to the whole. There is a misguided notion that discerning one’s next steps in life is a realization of one’s individuality by rejection of community. For those raised in a Catholic environment, this often requires a shedding of one’s Catholic “identity.” This is misguided not only because of the rejection of Catholic practice, but also because it asserts the self above the community that formed it. Worse than St. Paul’s eye in 1 Corinthians 12:21 saying to his hand “I don’t need you!” it’s saying it to the whole body. The discerning young person, in recognizing oneself as one member of the Body of Christ, finds a calling in relation to the Body. This is why many high schools and colleges, including the ones where I teach, have built-in service days and organizations to help young people see themselves as connected to their local community.

    RELATED: Pope Francis’ Advice for College Students

    Every school year is a continued preparation for students to become who God has called them to be. I implore that we not only preach kenosis to do this but also live it and model it. One way I have tried to model this practice is to be a little vulnerable, professionally and personally. Being willing to risk at least a small humiliation can begin to empty one of pride. Admit to a time you were unfair to a friend or a jerk to a stranger and had to ask forgiveness. Tell an embarrassing story not just to connect, but to show you can live through it. Humility is the vehicle for kenosis; it empties our ego quickly, which is the only way our hope is no longer in the “I,” but like St. Paul, it is now in “Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). 

    Humility and kenosis are the tools for students to realize their vocation, which gives them hope when it is understood in light of the Resurrection of Jesus, leading them to live differently. Their time in school should foster hope that “does not disappoint” (Rom. 5:5) because it is in he who does not disappoint. 

  • Four Tips for Keeping Your Semester Holy

    Four Tips for Keeping Your Semester Holy

    Close up of college student carrying books to school
    Photo by Element5 Digital on UnSplash

    I’m a college English professor with two children, ages 6 and 8. As a new school semester begins for our family, new routines automatically emerge. My son Jack will start playing basketball. My daughter Emmeline will start dance classes. I’ll begin teaching a new set of courses. A new semester automatically ushers in new ways of ordering our lives. My husband and I will arrange carline pickups and meal plans. College students will begin to schedule cardio classes with friends and other extracurricular activities. 

    As academics and activities increase for parents and students alike, so does joy – and stress. We need God in all of these moments, big and small. In the midst of school planning over the years, I’ve learned that an active spiritual life can sometimes get the short shift: There is no “back to school” meeting or college orientation that God plans for worship. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years, so my family’s relationship with God remains at the center of every academic semester.

    RELATED: 3 Ways to Keep the Faith This School Year

    1. Take a few minutes to read or listen to the Daily Readings 

    Growing up, my mother always told me to “begin the day with Jesus,” and this advice has never left me. I remember seeing her in the mornings with her Bible and coffee in hand. Today, I often read Scripture during my morning routine, while blow-drying my hair, or I’ll listen to the Laudate app on the way to work. This five-minute check-in provides spiritual guidance, helping me ponder how God’s word relates to the events of my day. As I’m teaching or learning about new subjects or simply out with friends, I can think about how the daily reading intersects.

    2. Create or find a sacred space that you visit

    This summer, my daughter attended vacation Bible school and created a rosary with pipe cleaner and multicolored beads. She asked to hang it on her wall, so she could look at it and take it down to use. At work, I have a crucifix hanging and a poem by Mother Teresa that I reflect on when needed. Creating a sacred space doesn’t require a large area; all you need are small reminders that help bring you to prayerful time with Jesus. The side of your desk can hold a prayer card, as can your laptop. If you feel your environment isn’t conducive to creating a sacred space, find a space that helps you feel close to God that is easily accessible during your week. Don’t be afraid to visit your parish, your college’s Newman center, or the sanctuary at your school if there is one! Even a beloved tree will do in a pinch. Schedule this quiet time with God the same way you would a visit to the gym or a study group session. Just 10-15 minutes in prayer, away from the bustle of everything you have to do during the week, can help recenter your mind and bring a quiet peace to an otherwise packed day.  

    RELATED: 9-Day Back-to-School Challenge

    3. Befriend a saint for the semester or school year 

    Last year, because of the pandemic, I got to know Julian of Norwich, someone I’d always found inspirational but never had time to discover more about. I spent time asking for her intercession and read a little about her, often sharing her devotional writings at the start of my classes. She lived in isolation during a pandemic and has a famous prayer: “All shall be well” that has always given me comfort. Spending dedicated time with her helped me not only grow in knowledge but also deepened my faith. If you’re interested in literature like many of my students, you might choose to spend time with Saint George—the patron saint of reading. Or, if you’re interested in medicine, Saint Raphael or Saint Gianna Molla might be for you. Perhaps when creating a sacred space, you keep your saint for that semester or even school year in mind, knowing that they’ll be praying for your spiritual and academic success. 

    4. Set aside time for Mass 

    This one you probably expected to see on this list—but sticking to it is harder than it sounds during a busy semester. On my semester calendars and syllabi, I mark off religious observations and holy days. God may not require you to attend an orientation like I mentioned above, but we should be sure to schedule Mass into our lives just as we do anything else (or ideally before we do anything else). In the same way you’ve befriended a saint for the semester, you might try to find a friend to attend Mass with. If you’re in college, Newman centers or campus ministries are excellent places to start to find like-minded Catholic students. Or simply start showing up, and you’ll find familiar, friendly faces with similar values. 

    Mass is like beginning the day with Scripture: it infuses the week with love. Receiving the Eucharist. Offering peace to your fellow Catholics. Praying together in communion. This is what being Catholic is about, so it’s important to make this time with God a must—even and especially when we’re the busiest. This is one way we bring peace and joy to ourselves, and to the world around us. 

    RELATED: Back to School: Staying Connected to What Matters

    It feels fitting to end with one of my favorite Bible verses, Philippians 4:8, which reads: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

    A busy semester will pull us all in a multitude of directions, and busier schedules will likewise have us contemplating a range of different “things.” Setting aside time to read what is “right” and “pure,” spending time in sacred spaces that are “lovely,” getting to know a “noble” saint one “admires,” and attending Mass where “truth” is spoken and felt are all ways to create a holier semester. I’ve learned over the years that none of the practices I’ve suggested take much time from my everyday life, but each of them has transformed it in a different way. Incorporating these ideas into your calendar at the beginning of the semester – as my family will be ours – will help ensure not only that your spiritual life feels attended to, but also that your whole life might be infused with a sense of calm because you’ll know that God will be a fixture in the patterns of your life no matter what the semester may bring.

    Originally published August 31, 2022.

  • Lessons From Saint Benedict: Creating Community in the Classroom

    Lessons From Saint Benedict: Creating Community in the Classroom

    A teacher holds a paper and is pointing at it while showing a young girl, her student, the paper. To her right a young boy, another student, writing something down.
    Photo by Wavebreak Media on Bigstock

    The first day of school can be scary, and it’s especially scary when you’re the teacher. The first time I stood in front of a classroom, I was apprehensive, if not terrified. I wanted to engage students academically, form them in community, and assure them of God’s loving plans for their lives. But, I was daunted by the challenges of diverse student needs, apathy, and classroom management. In the face of these obstacles, I sought to respond with both excellent pedagogy and Christocentric formation.

    Several years into my teaching career, I had made some progress but was still searching for inspiration. During a conference on formation, a colleague gifted me a small red booklet that would unlock a plethora of wisdom for my classroom: “The Rule of Saint Benedict.”

    St. Benedict lived in Italy during the sixth century. He faced a multitude of challenges, including violence, economic instability, and a licentious culture. He wrote “The Rule” as a guide to community life in the Lord’s service. It includes instructions for prayers, meals, discipline, and work. As I read, I saw ways that St. Benedict’s wisdom could be applied in my classroom.

    LISTEN: Saints of Our Lives: Saints Benedict and Scholastica

    Classroom management

    On my first day as a teacher, I was terrified that my students would not respect me. My solution was to assign a large amount of work and enforce scrupulous rules. I thought if students were stressed about their grades and detentions, they wouldn’t have time to be disobedient. However, it only made my students anxious and left me exhausted. 

    St. Benedict suggests a different approach. He insists that boundaries and rules be put in place to protect the community and help people become holy. He writes, ”In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love” (Prologue 45-47). 

    Following St. Benedict’s advice, I started assigning work from a place of purpose, not fear. I didn’t forbid bathroom privileges but limited the pass to one student at a time. This meant that if someone abused that privilege, they were taking an opportunity from someone else: Students challenged their peers to think about the needs of others. I allowed students to work in groups, but they had to rotate working roles, ensuring a shared effort. I also dedicated 25 minutes each week to community conversations, where we discussed and argued theology, school policies, or preferred ice cream flavors. 

    These changes took some energy and management on my part, but the students and I became galvanized and enlivened by just a few adjustments. 

    RELATED: How I Instill Enthusiasm for Faith in My 10th Grade Students

    Leading by example

    Students need to see that teachers believe what they say, and that is done by deeds, not words.  Benedict understood this to be true in the monastery, and it’s just as true in the classroom. He directs leaders to, “Point out to them all that is good and holy more by example than by words” (2.11). Whether I set an example by following the dress code, praying earnestly, or putting away my cell phone, students respond to direction well when they know that I do not expect anything from them which I do not demand of myself. 

    Meeting student needs

    Instructing a classroom of diverse learners is a challenge. Students learn and respond to direction differently, which has led to the rise of differentiated instruction — an understanding that education needs to be tailored to individual students. 

    While differentiation is relatively new to education, St. Benedict employed the idea over a century ago. He says, “With the undisciplined and restless, he will use firm argument; with the obedient and docile and patient, he will appeal for greater virtue; but as for the negligent and disdainful, we charge him to use reproof and rebuke” (2:24-26). Basically, form people in the way that will be most effective for them.

    I have high expectations for students, but leave room for charity. I allowed a student an afternoon snack break because medication suppressed his appetite in the morning. One of my students was exceptionally bright and needed more challenging reading, so I gave her a copy of a novel when the rest of the class only read a short selection. I added art analysis to my class and quizzes, since several students were captivated by pictures more than words. When we know our students and seek their well-being, we can lovingly differentiate. 

    RELATED: Four Tips for Keeping Your Semester Holy

    Lesson plans, interrupted

    I may craft excellent lessons and assessments, but there are days that students don’t need my lesson plan. Sometimes they need to ask new questions, catch up on work, or have time to pray. St. Benedict teaches, “Never give a hollow greeting of peace or turn away when someone needs your love” (4:20). We must never turn away someone who needs our love, which sometimes means putting aside my plans for the sake of the people in the classroom. 

    Love is patient

    I sometimes forget that my students are students! They may not know how to stay focused, compose a sentence, or work with others. They need to be taught math equations, grammatical terms, or how to say sorry when they’ve done something wrong. St. Benedict reminds teachers to have perspective. He says, “He should realize that he has undertaken care of the sick, not tyranny over the healthy” (27:6). When I find myself frustrated by student behaviors or deficits, St. Benedict reminds me of my task—to instruct with patience and love. 

    As the new school year approaches, I feel both optimism and the onus of teaching. St. Benedict writes, “anyone undertaking the charge of souls must be ready to account for them” (2:37). Every teacher will be held accountable for their effort to form their students. When I open the doors to my classrooms this fall, I will not forget to open my heart, and allow Jesus and the saints, like St. Benedict, to form my classroom beyond education and towards formation in love.