Catholic Teachers' Lounge

Everyone has a memory of a favorite teacher who made it fun to learn — Thanks to the suggestion of Andrea Bergener, we can all be that teacher with the aid of creative manipulatives across any age or subject.

The creativity and fun of theme days doesn’t have to end with annual Catholic Schools week or hiomecoming. Mary Peach uses a daily theme to keep her classroom motivated and engaged as she kicks off each day of the week.

We’ve all experienced failures in life but how do we empower our students to embrace the normalcy of life’s emotional roller coaster — especially our littles? Take a lesson from Tricia’s Richardson’s kindergarten class and apply it all the way through college visits.

A deeper dive into the power of vulnerability and personal failure stories to bridge faith connections. Hear from Nicole Rewerts from Mobile, AL.

Explore a wide range of tips and tricks for classroom specific or school wide acknowledgment of Halloween and/or All Souls Day — all with a sense of purpose that matches the culture of your environment.

Break up routines and expectations with small group instruction and team building exercises across interests and grades. Teacher Elaine Wagner instigates many new and different learning outcomes with a unique approach to teams.

It’s scary to lead controversial topics with no clear answers, but hear how it can lead to robust student engagement at all levels with additional research, thought and ideas. Sr. Elizabeth challenges her students with mysteries of the faith.

Connect the dots with prayer and practice across all subject matters while experiencing personal growth as well. Find out how Hilary Russell does it at Saint Mary’s Catholic School in Woodstock, Illinois.

As teachers, we can hyper focus on the act of teaching, but for the young people in our classrooms, learning is just one aspect of their complicated lives. Starting with Sue Alper’s experience, let’s talk about the transformative impact on kids when we make room for the Holy Spirit in our classroom.