CatholicEdChat is a twitter chat. Topics focus on discussions around educational issues for Catholic Educators and topics beneficial to Catholic Schools. We look forward to continuing to connect Catholic Educators online to discuss education and teaching with faith in our schools. The chat takes place on Saturday mornings. Time 9am EST.
Good morning, #CatholicEdChat! Justin here, moderating today. I am a theology teacher in my twelfth year at @BMHSMustangs in Forestville, Maryland, where it is currently a cold twenty-something degrees. Where are you from, and what do you teach?
Great to see everyone this morning! With Twitter's new 280 character limits, #CatholicEdChat 's topic of Catholic Identity, we can have a easier time with our answers.
Good morn. In Omaha this weekend for Creighton basketball and Olympic curling trials. Balmy 38 degrees here, beats yesterday's high in NW Iowa! #CatholicEdChat
#CatholicEdChat - Good Morning from New York - I am the Regional Superintendent for the 24 Catholic Schools in Central Westchester. We serve over 6000 students everyday
A1: Good morning, frost on the ground here in Iowa. I think one thing that threatens Catholic Identity is when the public perceives us as a private school and not a Catholic School. #catholicedchat
1. How is faith visible in community. the students and community. Our HS ss pray Angelus. MS learned prayer of St. Gertrude, GS can pray the rosary and actively participate in liturgy. Basketball also won state sportsmanship award last yr. Respectful athletes/ ss. #catholicedchat
Agreed, @johnhughes1993; prayer, especially relying on vocally asking for the saints' and blesseds' intercession, is critically important. #CatholicEdChat
A1. Most people know I'm an East Coast guy teaching in Midwest. Never had seen all varsity sports events begin w/ prayer, in addition to anthem for all attendees #catholicedchat
#CatholicEdChat - A1 - CI is how we show to the world who we are as Catholics - through our actions, our words, our symbols, our traditions and our practices. As Catholic educators we have the honor of passing this on to our students everyday
.@ksedleader, your words reflect Christ's! "Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father" (Matthew 10:32-33). #CatholicEdChat
Yes, we must *include* the Gospel and Christ's teachings in our inclusion. Jesus takes us all and wants to make us holier and more virtuous - an ongoing conversion for us all! #CatholicEdChat
Putting the emphasis on Catholic Identity. Teachers whose primary focus is teaching the faith. We had a dedicated teacher for religion at 6h, 7th and 8th. We are back to core teachers teaching religion. There isn't time to justly prep both. Religion usually loses. #catholicedchat
A1: CI is also more than how we treat each other or make other's feel. It is acknowledging out Catholicity through our traditional signs, symbols, prayers, etc. #catholicedchat
Q2) Why is Catholic identity so important in Catholic educational communities? In what ways does a school's strong Catholic identity benefit its students? #CatholicEdChat
A1: Catholic Identity -from a pastoral letter 5/2015 @Cardinal_Wuerl
Catholics are called to manifest God’s kingdom, not only in church walls, “but out in the world, building up the common good,” the cardinal writes. #CatholicEdchat
A1 CI what we see and touch. Catholic Culture what we experience and internalize. Beyond prayer, saints, CI. How and what do teachers do to integrate in all content areas. This is my dissertation question. #CatholicEdChat
A2: Is important b/c when absent, we are simply a private school with a cross on the top. CI allows us to witness, welcome, and lay a faith-based foundation that not all have the opportunity to do. #CatholicEdChat
Q2) Why is Catholic identity so important in Catholic educational communities? In what ways does a school's strong Catholic identity benefit its students? #CatholicEdChat
A2 Just as a school uniform identifies our students and gives them pride in their school, this pride/love, encourages and strengthens our students at all times. #CatholicEdChat
A2. Example. Accountability for both Ts and Ss. End of time-God's not going to ask-how many A's you gave/earned. He'll ask how did you serve me? Catholic schools educate mind/heart/spirit. #catholicedchat
A2: That identity has to come from the families of the community as well. If they are not involved in their Parishes, then the students only connect with their faith at a surface level. #catholicedchat
Q2) Why is Catholic identity so important in Catholic educational communities? In what ways does a school's strong Catholic identity benefit its students? #CatholicEdChat
#CatholicEdChat A2 - Each year we are able to welcome new families into the Church through Baptism - there is no greater gift of a Catholic education than to bring new people into the Church through the sacraments.
#CatholicEdChat A2 - We teach our students to see Christ in all people and to make decisions through that lens - we are creating global citizens of the 21st century who are moral, ethical and who see the world as "my neighbor."
Agreed, @APannie7, we must beware of compromising our faith. With visible and invisible signs, we must glorify and celebrate the Gospel. Once we start putting it aside, our students do not get to fully experience who Christ is and his role in salvation history. #CatholicEdChat
A2: Who we are should dictate what we do and create. Ss benefit bc they will grow in faith, have Q's answered, live life w peace and purpose. #catholicedchat
A1 the staff must first welcome each other in order to create a climate that welcomes all. How would you describe your school climate among teachers? #CatholicEdChat
Talk to Magis, Ace, LaLanne, any number of programs forming young, Catholic educators. To some degree, you're right. But to label it as a blanket truth, not so. #catholicedchat
In reply to
@ConsultJodi, @e_whalen, @mtcathschools
A1 the staff must first welcome each other in order to create a climate that welcomes all. How would you describe your school climate among teachers? #CatholicEdChat
YES, @johnhughes1993! I have recently begun to tell my students that worrying about grades to the exclusion of character and virtue is essentially tantamount to worshiping a golden calf. They have increasingly gotten my point (no pun intended). #CatholicEdChat
-I'm a recent grad myself-that your statement isn't quite accurate. Do we teachers make sacrifices? Absolutely. But we're not among best/brightest?#catholicedchat
In reply to
@ConsultJodi, @e_whalen, @mtcathschools
I work in a public school and give my time to St. Elizabeth's Church in Wash Heights w majority Latinos ... ALL Ps have high standards for their children. Believe me. #CatholicEdChat
In reply to
@ConsultJodi, @johnhughes1993, @e_whalen, @mtcathschools
Yes, @DrNoelleBeale; when we see God in others, we cannot help but recognize their inherent human dignity, since we are made in his "image" and "likeness" (cf. Genesis 1:26-27). #CatholicEdChat
We start each Wednesday with a schoowide prayer service, inviting parents and families to join in. Each centers around a feast or theme. #CatholicEdchat#a3
A3: community prayer everyday, school prayer written by students used regularly, bulletin boards-esp. liturgical season themed ones, images of our foundress, KAIROS participants wear crosses regularly, every class starts with prayer, our school logo #catholicedchat
A3 Next month we are raising money for Fr. Vincent's village, in Kenya, so the 300 families can have a safe stove. Each stove costs $160. We can help 300 families! #CatholicEdChat
I invite everyone to refocus the conversation, hopefully by replying to the third question - Q3: What are some *visible* (emphasis on *visible*) manifestations of faith in your Catholic school community? #CatholicEdChat
A3. Visible faith manifestations vary. Crucifix in every classroom. Intention/prayer wall in many. Weekly Mass. Daily Prayer. Beginning class in prayer. Chaplains. #catholicedchat
#CatholicEdChat A3 - Our pastors work closely with our school leaders to ensure that our schools have a full sacramental life with Mass and Reconciliation. In addition, prayer and service are a fundamental part of our daily school life.
We are going to discuss the *invisible* (vocal prayers, etc.) in a moment, but further regarding Q3, what are some visual manifestations of faith (crucifixes, prayer gardens, icons of Christ and other saintly figures, etc.) in your community? #CatholicEdChat
Service Projects. Prayer Services for ill community members. An awesome Veterans Day service. All from @RSMSchools in just the last week, let alone year. #catholicedchat
A3: We have a hill behind the school where we built a prayer labyrinth and memorial. Community members walk it and we can see that from classroom windows. #catholicedchat
Just a quick question for the group on service b/c perhaps this is a regional thing but all of our public schools require community service here (SF Bay) for graduation too. I am guessing not so in other parts of the country? #catholicedchat
A3 Daily mass, weekly all school mass, all school prayer 3x per day, service days, serving others all over the world, focusing on how we treat each other. #CatholicEdChat
I invite everyone to refocus the conversation, hopefully by replying to the third question - Q3: What are some *visible* (emphasis on *visible*) manifestations of faith in your Catholic school community? #CatholicEdChat
.@DeWit_teachn, yes, it is vital for our Catholic schools to emphasize that human life is sacred, from the unborn through the lifespan, as Pope Francis has underscored. Our Catholic schools may be the last time our students hear this before entering "the world." #CatholicEdChat
In reply to
@DeWit_teachn, @YouTube, @DeWit_teachn
A3: We do some public events to--a group of students attends Walk for Life West Coast every year and we combine with two other catholic high schools in a Walk for Justice to support one of our local shelters. #CatholicEdChat
A3: We have a hill behind the school where we built a prayer labyrinth and memorial. Community members walk it and we can see that from classroom windows. #catholicedchat
Q5: What are some ways that faculty/staff beyond specifically religion/theology teachers can bring the Catholic faith into their classrooms? #CatholicEdChat
A3: We have a tradition of writing Christmas cards to all the retired priests in our diocese. The students love the responses that we receive in January. #catholicedchat
A5: ALL of our classes begin with prayer, all departments tackle their subject matter through the lens of both content and faith, all faculty participate in a student retreat so they have that common language to share when appropriate #catholicedchat
A3: We have a tradition of writing Christmas cards to all the retired priests in our diocese. The students love the responses that we receive in January. #catholicedchat
A3-4 I love our Ss experience 6 days of retreat each year. The opening all school retreat is off campus and overnight and follows @LifeTeen format. #CatholicEdChat
A5: All school decisions are made through the lens of our Hallmarks to be sure we are carrying out the mission of the @SNDdeN_US on our campus . #catholicedchat
Thank the Lord for our faithful Catholic bishops! I wrote this book in order to thank them, so I am glad, @johnhughes1993, that you are likewise having your students appreciate them similarly. https://t.co/vitJmHBGwX#CatholicEdChat
In reply to
@johnhughes1993, @APannie7, @johnhughes1993
A3: Our students are asked to do 15 service hours. 5 personal, 5 as a class project and we have an exploratory once a week. Offering service exploratories. Gets the students involved in service to the community. #catholicedchat
A5: All my classes start with prayer. Participate in Camp Min projects and retreats to show Ss I'm not just a math teacher. Love that I can share my faith. #CatholicEdChat
Q5: What are some ways that faculty/staff beyond specifically religion/theology teachers can bring the Catholic faith into their classrooms? #CatholicEdChat
Thank you, @APannie7, for sharing how "all departments tackle their subject matter through the lends of both content and faith." If not, then it becomes a matter of "I will teach my own subject, and my students will just learn about God in their theology class." #CatholicEdChat
Q5: What are some ways that faculty/staff beyond specifically religion/theology teachers can bring the Catholic faith into their classrooms? #CatholicEdChat
That is a point we wrestle with on and off. Our program is currently under review to find a balance that everyone is satisfied with. We want to engender a life of service, not promote checklists. #catholicedchat
Q6: Catholic identity is not something that we can “check off” and ever consider “finished”; what are some specific ways that you can continue to bring the Gospel into your Catholic school community, to benefit students and the broader community by extension? #CatholicEdChat
A5. @ksedleader said it well. Conscious planning. Sciences/maths were pioneered mainly by Catholics. Education model in US for that matter. #catholicedchat
#CatholicEdChat I worked myself out of a job in Cath Ed b/c I went into school psychology and spec ed admin. So many times I have been THIS close to starting a meeting with a group prayer.
Always been mixed on that. "Mandatory" service hours-taught CCD to meet them- helped me find one of my vocations-teaching. But can see how it works in reverse, too. #catholicedchat
There's a thought, @MrEdPsych! By the way, I love the profile image - @wimpykid is a fellow alumnus (1989 for him, 2000 for me) of my school, @BMHSMustangs, where I now teach [theology]. #CatholicEdChat
In reply to
@MrEdPsych, @MrEdPsych, @wimpykid, @BMHSMustangs
#CatholicEdChat A6 - There must be a daily commitment to CI through our words and actions in our schools. We are a living examples of Christ's love and our teachers and leaders understand that their presence is an extension of His love.
A6 We have 3 Benedictine monks and srs on staff and more attend events. Ss always have this witness. Our house system is designed to build community, including faith community. #CatholicEdChat
Q6: Catholic identity is not something that we can “check off” and ever consider “finished”; what are some specific ways that you can continue to bring the Gospel into your Catholic school community, to benefit students and the broader community by extension? #CatholicEdChat
Thanks to @McClainJustin for leading us in a wonderful discussion today and giving us the opportunity to share CI in our schools and lives! #catholicedchat
Thank you, everyone, for your lively discussion today. In Catholic schools, we have the opportunity to form our students into disciples, sharing with them the Gospel, a profound moral code that is often at odds with what society says is the way to live. #CatholicEdChat
