Just religion class?

"It doesn't matter. It's just religion class," a student muttered under his breath.

And my heart sank.

Just religion class?

As a teacher, it can be frustrating when you see that students do not engage with the material that you pour your heart and energy into preparing...but when it has to do with the faith, that's even worse, in my humble opinion.

We're a Catholic school, yet faith is definitely not everyone's priority. We're focused on test scores, coverage of curriculum, +/- in gradebook...the list goes on. And these things are important (some more than others and some because our culture teaches/forces us to care so much), but I think it's fair to say we've lost a sense of our mission and values. I honestly don't think it's because we don't believe in these things ourselves as teachers and administrators; rather, I think it's because we let these other things slowly creep in and take priority and suck up our energy.

• What are parent emails mostly about? - teachers grading unfairly, problems with different policies, etc.
• What are teacher PDs mostly about? data, ELA/Math curriculum, student behavior
• What gets scrapped first in terms of needing to find more time in the school day schedule? religion class

Again, I don't think this is done purposefully, but with the pressure to get these kids into their top high schools (so stressful!) and the push to make sure no student falls behind, we are inadvertently dropping the ball on what should matter the most: helping students develop an understand of, and relationship with, Jesus and the faith.

Is everyone Catholic at our school? No - not even close. But most are Christian, which is in the same family and just as important in terms of evangelizing. Are most students practicing? That's a hard no. And I can't judge because I'm not a parent, but when sports games and other activities pull at the time families should be setting aside for dinners, Mass, and prayer, that is a problem. And if they're not getting the sense at home that faith is important, that Jesus is real and someone we should spend time with, etc., then to what end is what I teach going to sink in and be something they think is valuable and worthwhile?

And I'm at a loss for how to help fix it. And I know it's not a unique problem to my school community. But if I can't get the students to take religion class (or even certain parts of class) seriously, they are just going through the motions of turning things in for a grade, thinking time for intercessory prayer is a joke, and not really taking the opportunity to try to connect with God, Jesus, or Mary.

I wanted to do a reset with my students when we came back from Thanksgiving, so I took them over to the chapel in the church. It's a beautiful, sacred space...and even when I explained/reviewed the expectations and why it is such a special place, the way they acted in the space made me feel deflated and appalled. I had to email at least 6 parents about behavior, and I even asked our pastor to speak with them after Mass on Wednesday. We were supposed to do a simple reflection designed for middle school students on the first Sunday of Advent, but it was all a joke to them. Some of it probably reflects on my own behavior management of the class, but part of it reflects that students seem to have lost their sense of wonder and reverence of the sacred. 

So, what now? Before we go on Christmas break, I plan to have the students watch "The Song of Bernadette," as we wrap up our unit on Mary, but I wonder how much it will speak to their hearts. I want to use the new year (coming back after Christmas break) as a reset, but as I look at the curriculum for the rest of the year, I struggle with what units/topics will most speak to their hearts. (And I struggle with how to balance that with student grades - which I wish I didn't have to give, but that's a whole other issue.)

I unloaded a lot - if you've stuck with me through this entire post, I first want to thank you for following my crazy line of thinking and brain-dump. And I want to also ask for your prayers for me and my students (and not just my students but all of the students in our school and those across our country who seem to be in the same boat).

May God continue to bless you this Advent season.

Running for (and with) others

Less than one week out from my marathon, I can't help but reflect with gratitude on the people who have helped support me along the way (and those who will be with me on race day). This post is for them...

*Mission OLA - This place and its wonderful people (the religious men and women who serve there as well as those whom they serve through their ministry) are the reason I am running this race and the reason I reached out to family and friends to help me fundraise over $1000. Their presence/ministry in the Humboldt Park neighborhood is a true gift from God, and I am fortunate to be a part of their efforts in a small way on a somewhat regular ongoing basis too.

*My fellow runners - Whether it was a quick text, email, or phone call/conversation to check in and see how the training was going, it meant a lot and it kept me going. It's such a blessing to know that others are cheering along the journey and praying for me and a strong race. Knowing that someone is a long-distance runner forms an automatic bond for me with that person - they just get it. And for that I am grateful.

*My sister - Believe it or not, this is the first marathon that my sister is not running with me. (Well, Disney still counts because we were in the same race - she was just 20 minutes faster so we weren't technically running together.) Therefore, it's going to be different - I'll have to be the one to push myself, especially when I get to the end and always want to wimp out; I'll have to imagine her there telling me to keep going and that I can rest when it's over. (She also got me a goody bag full of important things like chocolate, throwaway gloves, and a portable roller for sore muscles after the race. That was pretty great.)

*My parents - They have always been my biggest cheerleaders. My dad even wrote me a short (inspirational) poem when I sent him the runner tracking information. :) They've been to several of our marathons (Disney, Chicago, Detroit, & Cincinnati), jumping around at different points of the course to take photos and watch us run by. They won't be at this race, but I know they'll be praying and tracking from afar.

*My race weekend buddies - Ok, so they're running the 5K, but they are still giving up their weekend to come support and cheer me on. They will be subjected to my early morning race day hours (so I can get my coffee in ahead of time), pre-race meal dietary restrictions, and random agitation of crowds/inefficiency at the expo. But it will be great. And we will get to celebrate the rest of the weekend.



Running is something that has always been a part of my family's lifestyle, even if it was just holiday 5Ks (Turkey Trot & Jingle Bell Run) growing up, and it is something that truly became part of my identity in college. Our running group ("Bull Run") was filled with awesome people who helped me go from barely being able to run 3 miles to running a marathon in under 4 hours. I still think of them in my training and racing to this day and try to take their advice to heart.

Even when I thought I'd have to hang up my long-distance running shoes when I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, my physical therapist and doctor helped me get back on my feet (literally) and build my running stamina back up to what it once was, with my first marathon back at it being a PR by over 5 minutes.

God is so good, and He has blessed me with this opportunity to race next Saturday with the support of my family and friends. If you think of it, please say an extra prayer for me (and for all those running) on Saturday. It's going to be a chilly one, but I hope it will be precipitation- and wind-free! Let's go!!

"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

What Broadway can teach us about the human spirit

MIA is one word to describe my blogging presence. Time flies when you're having fun...or when you say yes to too many things...or just because everything seems to go faster with each passing year...

Am I right? 😜

And perhaps one of the reasons I haven't been writing here at all of late is because I haven't felt compelled to share anything in particular. That's not for a lack of things happening - kids are in my office nearly every day, planning for my one class is taking more time that I expected, marathon training is messing with my sleeping habits, etc. etc. etc. - it's more for feeling that my blog post may not add any value to this world or help anyone.

But, then again, maybe it will...

Just yesterday I was explaining to a good friend how I was feeling pretty exhausted because I had my 20 miler training run that morning. She asked, "What do you think about for 20 miles? I can't imagine running for 1 hour let alone 3!"

The truth is, I don't do too much thinking. My mind wanders...a LOT. But mostly I let myself get lost in music, when one particular soundtrack tends to take center stage for that particular marathon's training. (For the Oakland Marathon it was actually two - "Dear Evan Hanson" and "Fiddler on the Roof.") The Indy Marathon is no exception, and training run after training run I've listened to and fallen in love with "Come From Away."

If you haven't heard of this musical or listened to its soundtrack, stop reading this blog post right now and find it on Spotify. (I'll be right here when you get back. 😉)

"Come From Away" is based on the true story of a town called Gander on the island of Newfoundland, where they landed planes that were outside of American air space on September 11, 2001. It's about true generosity of spirit, what bonds us as humans, and the good that can result from something as terrible as an act of terrorism. Just when you feel your heart is about to break during the show, you find yourself laughing or smiling, and it's impossible not to feel transported back to where you were on that day. The characters are lovable, relatable, and real. Their feelings are palpable. (And I wanted to stand up and cheer when the female pilot sings about becoming the first female captain in history - hooray for strong women and strides for equality!)

Perhaps I have a special place in my heart for this musical because my grandpa's best friend is from Newfoundland, and he is one of the most generous, welcoming, and fun-loving people I've ever met. One of the lines in the last song of the show pretty much sums him up:

A: Why are Newfoundlanders so bad at knock-knock jokes?
B: I don't know.
A: Well, try it. I'll be a Newfoundlander.
B: Knock knock.
A: Come on in, the door's open! 

Yep, that's accurate. But I digress...

I think this show and its music has really been on my mind and tugging at my heart lately because with so much hate in our world and terrible things on the news, it's easy to get swept up in the same mentality. But there is so much good...and there is room for so much good when we give it a chance. Did you see how Brandt Jean forgave his brother's murderer in a courtroom in Dallas? Some people were up in arms that he could do that in court (and that the judge hugged the woman too)...but it's forgiveness, and it's his to give, not ours to judge. It's beautiful...and it shows strength of the one forgiving. How much easier would it have been in that moment to look at the police officer in hatred and wish her harm to repay for what she did? But he didn't... And there are so many other acts of love and good out there that we may never know about or only hear about years later (such as was the case for me with learning about the people of Gander on 9/11), but they're there.

Why does the right thing have to be so hard to do these days? What is driving people apart and making us forget that we belong to one another, to God, to the larger human race?

I wish I had an answer...and a solution. But for now, I'll keep trying to do good a little at a time, to do the next right thing. That's something we can all try to do. And we can remember and celebrate the good when it comes our way, whether that be in the news or in a Broadway show.

End of summer, beginning of year 12

Nothing says "end of summer" like Labor Day weekend.

Indeed.

School is now in full force for students, even though teachers have been back since mid-August (and the rest of us since before that). 

Don't worry - Marisa and I totally did our back to school ice cream tradition the weekend before (my) school started.

And you can rest assured I spent my time in church leading up to school's beginning on my knees offering prayers for my teacher & admin friends as well as for my own school. Not only did it make sense to do so, I don't think I would have made it through the week without prayer & Mass...

And fresh flowers, of course...

While it took nearly the whole morning for me to get my act together, I did manage to snap a first day of school picture. (And our business manager also took a real one the week before for our website.)

Only one week in now, but school is certainly keeping me busy. And that is probably more so than last year, as I have a class to plan for and teach: 7th grade Religion. Exciting though it is, I imagine it will take its toll on me when the admin side of things starts piling up, but for now things are good. And, technically, I'm on the Jr High team...

Aside from school, there have been plenty of other goings-on to keep me busy, including but not limited to Shakespeare in the Park, early morning marathon training runs along the lakefront, a Cubs baseball game, reading, a play (or perhaps a few), and other random things, including visits with friends (and even a few dates(!) - but, sadly, there turned out to be nothing promising). Busy, busy...

I've also (clearly) been working on maintaining my girlish figure... 😂

Kidding.

Food is totally worth the splurge.


I hope you are doing well and that wherever you're at in life or in work/school that you're right where you're meant to be. (I also hope you were able to follow the crazy jumping around of this blogpost. My brain is fried...)

Have a wonderful week!

Adventure is out there...on a Wednesday...on the River...

I've lived in Chicago for awhile, and I've done a number of awesome things (some one and done, while others on an annual or regular basis). But never had I been on the Chicago River (except by boat...once), and I definitely hadn't been on it at night...in a kayak. Nor had I been to Art on the Mart. 

So last Wednesday evening ended up being a 2 for 1 in terms of new things in Chicago! (I love it when that happens.)

We started at Ping Tom Memorial Park about an hour before sunset. We got our kayaks ready, and we received a quick review of how to paddle, turn, etc. And then we were off, up river first and then with the current on the way back. We had some wonderful skyline views, and some folks walking or eating near the river had good views of us. (haha)

When we arrived at Merchandise Mart, we maneuvered into a spot near the wall and out of the way of other boats and kayaks. The countdown to the show started at 5 minutes till the presentation was going to begin, and it was projected on the side of the building.

the countdown

We realized a little too late that you can access the audio from the website, so we mostly just carried on our own conversation and then watched in silence. I thought it was pretty cool; though, I have known some people to be far less impressed than I was. I guess to each his own.

part of this month's features are works from the Art Institute

Thank you REI. (And thank you, Mother Nature) It was a beautiful, perfect night!

Make Me Alive

There are very few things (aside from my faith and time in nature) that make me come alive like seeing quality theater, especially plays that are of the musical genre.

(Good thing I live in Chicago. 😂)

This past week I saw two shows - one was new to me (and part of the Broadway in Chicago subscription), and one was an old favorite (the lyrics and lines of which I have nearly 100% memorized from so many movie viewings). Both were spectacular.

"Come From Away" is based on the events directly following the 9/11 plane crashes, when the American air space was closed down, and planes between America and other countries had to be rerouted and landed. One such landing space was in Gander, Newfoundland. The play follows the townspeople and one set of passengers over the several days following September 11, and it's a testament to the human spirit. There are parts so poignant and other parts that make you belly laugh. The music was lively - my favorite song was "You'll Be a Newfoundlander." (Maybe it helps that I actually know someone from Newfoundland.) Just brilliant.

And then there's the classic: "The Music Man."

Oh, there's nothing halfway about the Iowa way to greet you, when we greet you, which we may not do at all...

This particular production was staged in a fresh way - the sets were done with some awesome perspective choices, and the choreography was spectacular - the dancers made good use of the whole stage. Professor Harold Hill was quite charming, Mrs. Paroo was quite Irish, and Winthrop had the stutter down perfectly. The play hit all the right notes for me, and it took every ounce of will power in my body not to sing and speak right along with the actors on the stage.

So, aside from the necessities of daily living, I do spend quite a bit on the theater (though, we always try to get the cheaper tickets, even if it means sitting up in the balcony). But it's worth it because it fills my cup and brings a smile to my face. And that helps me be ready to face another day.

Let the Photos Speak for Themselves: Side Trip to Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon

When in northern Arizona, it's important to be cognizant of the other opportunities of which to take advantage, such as Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. We did just that on our third day in the Grand Canyon.

Heads up: For this post, I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves:

Horseshoe Bend --> 

 

Lower Antelope Canyon (booked through Ken's Tours) --> 

This is the canyon from above...go figure...

Random spot where we pulled over to watch the sunset after dinner -->

Good side trips. Good times.