Catholic Teachers' Lounge

Jill shares how a community book study and a personal read impacted her and her school community. Stop in the lounge for some highlights about St. John Paul II and St. Gianna Molla, two modern saints with important, inspiring messages for today’s busy families.

What do you think should be the top prioirity of your parish pastor or your school chaplain? Likely, everyone has a different opinion and priests are challenged to be all things to all people, especially if they are involved in school leadership. Enjoy this conversation that includes priest formation, responsibilities, and expectations in today’s episode of the Catholic Teachers’ Loung...

Will Dennis (of Unscripted Productions) joins Jill and Colleen in the lounge once again to talk improv! Will shares how he has used improv in the classroom using 5 basic rules and how these rules extend to work environments and even teach professional development. It’s all about building community, acceptance of everyone’s contributions, and valuing one another’s unique role and...

Jill unveils the 2 campus-wide goals she and her principal rolled out at the start of this year and provides the status of their goal progress so far. Good intentions prevail in this ambitious set of goals at West Catholic High School where training brains and hearts to seek out and acknowledge the good, true, and beautiful help to shape school culture.

This episode continues the converstion about classroom activities available to kids who arrive early, who finish work quickly, or who stay after. Every classroom has activities and learning opportunities for unstructured time, and this episode runs through several ideas that work in almost any classroom! Stop in the lounge for some affirmation on some of the ideas you already implement and maybe p...

In this episode, Jill shares a question from a Catholic school in Erie, Michigan about what to do with early arrivers in the morning. What is the most productive or effective way to ease kids into the school day while the room is still quiet and the day hasn’t quite begun? Teachers share ideas and Colleen and Jill grapple with ideas and suggestions.

Did you ever wish you had a group of people to solve your problem? So does Colleen! In this epsiode Jill and Colleen explore the idea of community inquiry learning to solve a real life problem. Stop in the lounge for inspiration on a community learning project that might work for you and your students.

Today in the lounge, Jill and Colleen talk about approaches to lesson, unit, and course design. What’s better–following curriculum chronologically or thematically? How do we focus on standards AND make sure lessons are hitting if a way that ensures student connection? Stop in the lounge for a theoretical conversation and agreeable conclusion.

What’s a great way to assess whether a lesson went well? Ask the kids! In this episode Jill shares an idea used by the Detroit Catholic Microschools that can be applicable across the board with any class, age, or subject area. Join us in the lounge for a practical and fun conversation on how and why to use a classroom debrief.

Do you remember the first time you got to choose your own book, topic, or partner for a project? We do! In this episode, Jill and Colleen explore how personal experiences and core memories can make for the most memorable and high quality work in the classroom. Take a trip down memory lane and get inspired to take voice and choice to the next level.

Jill and Colleen welcome guest Will Dennis into the lounge for a conversation on creating the best conditions for learning. Will’s insights, based on his time teaching Theology and teaching and studying improv, have led him to conlcude that all good learning begins with connection. Creating the conditions for connection, sharing, and growth are essential at every age, grade, and activity. Be...

What happens when ISTE, Google, and NCEA team up to train educators? A whole lot of innovation! Join Jill, Colleen, and special guest Dr. Karl Ochsner for an overview of an amazing nationwide collaboration of innovative teachers & leaders who are learning about and influencing STEM education and technology use to shae in their schools as well as providing PD for you. It’s not about scree...

Jill puts on her teacher hat and mom hat as she shares about the awesome summer Catholic youth camp available in her state of Michigan as well as Virginia and Ohio. Colleen recalls her own son’s experience at summer camp and compares. What can kids do over the summer to stay in touch with their faith, enrich their social emotional growth, learn some new skills, and grow in independence? Drop...

Pope Leo’s first encyclical for the Church reminds Catholic educators that it is not our job to keep pace with the secular world. Join Jill and Colleen for a dive into Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitis and a chat on what Catholic educators should know and why it matters. A timely and pointed lounge conversation!

In this episode, self-proclaimed AI skeptic Colleen shares her favorite tool–Gemini Notebook. If you’re a teacher looking for a tool that integrates disciplines, can pull from your specified resources without pulling random info from the web, and likes a variety of options for your students, this episode is for you. Already a Gemini Notebook user? Stop in to enjoy the conversation and...

It’s time for that beginning-of-school-year PD chat. How was it this year? Were you able to use it right away or could it have been an email? Did you learn something new or get frustrated because of another new initiative? Each year brings something different–and sometimes it’s actually really helpful! Join Jill and Colleen for a lounge chat on professional development.

Jill and Colleen are back in the Catholic Teachers' Lounge and ready for more great ideas in Catholic education! This episode previews topics that will be explored throughout Season 4 and gives the co-hosts a moment to catch up after time away. Welcome back for a new and exciting season!

Season 4 officially drops September 1st, but Jill and Colleen are warming up and setting the scene for a new year ahead! Where can you find them in the wild and on social media? Tune in and see what's new in 2026. Want to contribute to the conversation? Learn where you can drop ideas to share with other teachers!

Season 4 is almost here and Jill and Colleen are in the lounge for a quick check in on summer social media trends. Have you heard of Nun Girl Summer? Stop in for this uplifting conversation that creates hope for Gen Z and for a women religious resurgence!

Jill and Colleen welcome Dr. Kaitlin Reichart into the Catholic Teachers’ Lounge to share the best things they have seen and heard in classrooms so far this year. Stop in the lounge to hear shout outs, accolades, and cheers for the hardworking and creative teachers and leaders in our schools. You’ll have lots of time over break to binge back episodes of the Catholic Teachers’ Lou...

This episode takes Jill and Colleen down a rabbit hole of multi-age instructional shifts, putting theory into practice, and wondering if PD is enough. Tune in as talk in lounge shifts to the way instructional leaders must create the space and opportunities for teachers to put practices that serve all students into action and help them let go of habits, systems, and structures that no longer serve...

This episode takes the lounge conversation back to homework, only this time Jill and Colleen are talking about high school kids. Studies show there is a sweet spot for impact when it comes to time spent on homework and success on standardized exams. Stop by the lounge to hear about stressors, tasks, and impact when it comes to homework in high school.

“In this episode of the Catholic Teachers Lounge, Jill and Colleen explore various themes related to Catholic education, particularly focusing on the Advent season, prayer practices, and the role of AI in spiritual expressions. They discuss the importance of spontaneous prayer in schools, share personal anecdotes about prayer with children, and reflect on the authenticity of prayer in the co...

In this episode, Jill and Colleen ponder a homework study. What is the value of homework? What is the most effective use of student time in and out of school? Stop in the lounge for a topic that everyone has an opinion about.

It’s Advent–A time of high energy, activities, service projects, special prayer events, art, music, and lots of patience. Join Jill and Colleen for a conversation about fresh ideas and traditions to bring Advent to life for students.