A leader's lesson in humility

I will wholeheartedly admit that when I received the list of students whom I would be interviewing for Confirmation today I was slightly disappointed. These were 8th graders who I did not really know, ones who were kind of on the quiet side, ones who I considered out of all of them didn't care as much about their faith.

One girl in particular I was worried about. And, as we got ready for her group's turn, she informed me she had not brought her service journal for our religious ed director/Confirmation coordinator. I told her I would write her name down so he knew to follow up with her tomorrow, and I thought rather sarcastically to myself, This is going to be fun.

The first question I asked to break the ice, as it seemed rather low stakes to me, was about who they had each picked as their Confirmation Saint and why. Responses were similar, as names, on a whole, were chosen to honor a relative or because the Saint had stuck with them from a younger age. When everyone else in this particular group had shared, the girl (whom I had my doubts about) spoke up. She said, "This may seem like a silly reason (at which point my head jumped to, Oh boy, she chose the name because it sounded cool - I've had that happen before)... but I took the name Novena because it represents how the Apostles waited nine days for the Holy Spirit and I need to learn how to wait in my life for the Holy Spirit because I need it, especially as I go to high school."

I think my jaw dropped.

(And, if I could have kicked or slapped myself, I would have.)

As my conversation with the students continued, she shared about the influence of her grandma's faith on her own life and for her desire to be more involved in the parish. She was so genuine, and her thoughts were so deep.

How had I been so judgmental? (And why, in the past, have I prided myself on not judging people?) Here I was thinking because she got in trouble in school and didn't always get the best grades academically that she didn't have much of a faith life; yet, I would wager her faith is stronger than mine.

I was both deeply saddened and humbled by our conversation. I had underestimated one of our students, and she showed me through her thoughtful reflection and honesty how much of her heart and mind that I had not yet seen this year. And I know today was still only scratching at the surface.

I knew that I failed as a school leader today, even if it was on the inside where no one else could see but me. But I also knew I learned a valuable lesson - never underestimate or throw out anyone, especially a student. Everyone has something to say, and people are often not who they first appear to be without taking the time to get to know them.

And everyone needs someone to believe in them, ask the right questions, step back, and watch them shine.

My Big, Fat...Catholic Confirmation

I've always found it wonderful at Confirmation at ICSJ that the entire row goes up with each Confirmandi and sponsor for the presentation to, and anointing by, the Bishop. It's such a beautiful witness of faith and community. The Bishop speaks to each student, and his words are full of such wisdom and hope (trust me from years of listening in by sitting in the front row) that it is good for the whole group to hear what is said.

This year we celebrated the Confirmation of students I taught in 6th and 7th grade. Every group of students is special, but this particular group holds a significant space in my heart. I taught many of these students' siblings and have known the families for quite some time. I tended to go to their sporting events more than the other classes (except my own volleyball girls, of course), and they were always so creative and inquisitive.

Now, this event had been on my calendar for a long time, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. But I would be lying if I didn't say when I actually won the Hamilton lottery for that evening that I didn't have second thoughts about ditching the Mass and going to the show instead.

When it came down to it, though, I declined the tickets. It may sound crazy (and I won't judge you for thinking so), but if I wasn't at Confirmation I would have spent the whole night thinking about the students and Mass anyways. And what fun would that have been at Hamilton? (Plus, in all fairness, I've seen it twice...I've just never won the lottery before!) I believe I made the right decision - the Mass was such a blessing.

If I had to take a guess, the average amount of family/guests for each student was between 5 and 10, with some students surrounded by nearly 20 people. (It almost seemed like some unspoken contest to see who had the most people...kidding.) I knew it was going to be a challenge to find a seat - I didn't want to get stuck all the way in the back - but, as fate would have it, one my the students asked me to sit in her row. I fit easily, as it was just her and her mom - her sponsor (and other extended family) live out of town and it was not possible for them to travel. I was honored to sit with them, and I also was invited to walk up to the Bishop with them, where her 8th grade religion teacher met us and served as the stand-in for her sponsor. The Bishop talked about her smile as a sign of joy, one of the fruits of the Spirit. His words touched me, and I hope they touched her as well, as she was one of those students who never seemed quite content with accepting some Church teachings. And something else brought me nearly to tears - during the Alleluia, she did the sign language that I had taught them last year. I can't believe she remembered it! (Just goes to show how much movement sticks with you, I suppose.)

I envy ICSJ for ending Catholic Schools Week with Confirmation Mass - it's so appropriate, so perfect. It's a true celebration of the Catholic faith in our young people. (Come Holy Spirit!) I'm so proud and so incredibly happy for them. I pray that they continue to excel and to pursue deeper understanding of their faith in high school, which is an exciting possibility considering many will be going to Catholic high school. :) Love and prayers for those kiddos - keep it up!

While it was amazing to witness the Sacrament, see students, and catch up with the families at ICSJ, I was just the tiniest bit sad. I realized how much I miss those kids, my coworkers, my pastor, and the school families. But I also realized that I had moved on for a reason and that I am starting to find that same sense of community and support at my current school now too.

Speaking of my current school...Catholic Schools Week, overall, was a success - it just was slightly disrupted due to the midweek subzero temperatures. The kids enjoyed the dress down days and activities, to be sure. But here are my two quick highlights:

1. I received two notes, one from a friend who works for ACE and one from a previous student, which truly put me over the moon. As a teacher, it is rare to see the fruits of your labor, so the kind words relayed by my friend and written by my student were such a gift. I love hearing how my students are doing, and I love learning about their successes.

2. For teacher appreciation day, the student council made mugs and brought donuts to the whole staff. As one of the students gave me mine, she smiled and said, "I made yours." I love it!

I have been blessed with more than I ever deserve to be - God is good. I pray that I can pay it forward in large and small ways, day in and day out, even when I get frustrated or upset. 

Our lives are truly a gift. We, myself included, need to live in such a way that shows we believe that.

A Week in Review...in Pictures

The school parent association kept the sweet treats (and puns) coming this week...

The treats culminated in a lovely luncheon on Friday - complete with a treat take-home box...only mine didn't make it home. 😏

Some lovely notes/post-its from parents and students were a welcome surprise and very affirming.

And the students designed doorstops for all of the faculty using the 3D printer - each doorstop was unique, so, clearly, as the religion teacher I got a cross. I LOVE it!

The best part of the week (and best Mass of the year, hands down) was Confirmation. It was a beautiful Mass. I had never met Bishop Rojas before, as this was his first visit to our parish. And the students all looked dapper and beautiful all dressed up. I can't believe this crew is in 8th grade - it sounds cliche, but it seems like only yesterday I was coaching these girls in volleyball in 4th grade, back when they couldn't even make a good pass or serve the ball over the net. Time flies!

After Confirmation I decided to go to the grocery store. As I was getting in my car, I spotted the license plate below. Now, I understand he was probably a Minnesota fan (and no doubt thought I was creepy for taking a photo of his license plate), but I think he might also support twin siblings too.

This morning's alarm came way too early, but it was worth it - we kicked off our marathon training today by running (nearly) 14 miles. We ended our run at Jeni's, where they were celebrating National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. (Yes, it's a national holiday - I can't make this stuff up.) To warm up we got coffee next door at Starbucks directly afterwards so we wouldn't freeze on our respective walks home. Brr...

There's a bit of work to be done for my Church docs class before I head to trivia tonight for my sister's school. It's always a ton of fun, so I can't wait! It's good to have a few excuses to relax this weekend. I hope you have a few good things planned too...

A Simple Thank You Goes A Long Way

A simple thank you note to each of my students - it was a requirement for all advisory teachers, sure, but it was well worth the 3-4 minutes for each card to see the smiles and here the "aww's" as they opened them this morning on student appreciation day.

Not much (formal) learning happened today - we had the annual spelling bee (which lasted nearly 2 hours) in the morning and a school-wide viewing of "Wonder" in the afternoon. It worked out, as we weren't allowed to assign homework anyways. The students all wore their matching ICSJ 15 year celebration shirts - it was pretty neat to see the sea of navy blue in the gym.

I love my students so much. And while I'm positive that I show this love to them every day, I honestly don't know if they recognize it. So thank goodness for days like today. I guess I need to be better about this in the future, huh?

On an unrelated but positive grad school-related note, I have now turned in all of my assignments (except one) for the week - it's been rough, and I haven't really ventured out of my apartment in the evenings - Did I mention that I have no life this semester? - but the sense of being (nearly) done for the week is amazing. (I did get out of two events - Confirmation practice and an IL tax credit scholarship sign-up - which gave me extra time I wasn't counting on.)

This means I can enjoy the Confirmation dinner & Mass tomorrow and then just crank out the Church docs paper on Saturday after running (and ice cream!) and before trivia... Please keep our 8th graders in your prayers!

The weekend's nearly here - let's close out Catholic Schools Week in style!

You never know...

"I have something to show you," the grandmother of one of our Confirmandi told me as I tried to hand her the Confirmation certificate to hold. She dug into her clutch, and she pulled out the decade Rosary she had made with her granddaughter at parent/grandparent day two years ago during Catholic Schools Week in my classroom. She told me that she carries it everywhere.

And, for some reason, that really touched me.

You never know what something means to someone else. Many of the decade Rosaries are now lost or gathering dust, but this woman still holds on to hers in a special way. (And this was the first time I had seen her since that day.)

Confirmation was already a special, wonderful night, but that moment made it just a little more special.

Here are some of the posters the kiddos made on retreat a few weeks ago - we hung these in the church on Friday night as part of the Confirmation celebration. 34 young men and women were sealed with the Holy Spirit - Amen!

And with your spirit

This is the time when I pray, Dear Lord, please let them be ready. 

I never feel like I've done enough to prepare the students for Confirmation (and this year is no exception), but that's what's so beautiful about the Holy Spirit - He does the rest.

It seems only fitting to bring Catholic Schools Week to a close with this 8th grade class's Confirmation - What better testament to the faith of our young people than this sacrament?

So here we go.

Cue the color red.
Cue dinner with the Bishop.
Cue music, musicians, and readers.
Cue parents and sponsors, siblings and friends.
Cue the Confirmation candidates.
Cue the Holy Spirit.

And perhaps the most beautiful thing to remember about all of this - it's not the end. It's the beginning of the Holy Spirit alive in their lives and of their commitment in a more permanent, real way to living out their Catholic faith.

Can I get an "amen" to that?

Oh, and bonus: Alleluia! (We're not in Lent yet!!)

What is Mercy?

This question was posed to our young adult retreat planning committee a few short weeks ago, and we all sort of just "verbal vomited" until we had a rather large list scrawled on a poster. Our list ranged from relevant scripture verses to the works of mercy, from giving someone a second chance to being in a state to receive God's grace/being merciful to self.

I think mercy means a lot of different things. Or, maybe what I mean to say is that mercy takes various forms in different situations...

For me, mercy today (and tomorrow) means giving my 8th graders a clean slate. In the words of one student (who wished to have her same seat next to her friend tomorrow), "Isn't God one of second chances?" Yes, He absolutely is. And that's what's so crazy. Even though these students proceeded to talk for most of today's class period (now, granted, it was last period - not that there's any excuse), the expectation is that tomorrow looks a h*** of a lot different. I've already spoken with fellow faculty about logical consequences, and I know I need to enforce a few things. In addition, I plan to offer up the Rosary tonight for them, and I know many of my own (and their) friends and family are praying for these kids too.

Mercy for me meant going to Target after school and spending my own money on snacks and drinks for the 8th graders' retreat. I did this even though these kids really pushed my buttons today. I did it even though I believe that they'll be students who complain about the snacks I picked out or that there aren't enough drinks.

Maybe it's mercy. Maybe it's just plain crazy. But Jesus wants us to be prodigal (wasteful/lavish) with our love and mercy - to love the sinner not the sin, the student not their impulsive actions. God knows there are things people need to be merciful towards me for, so who am I to decide who deserves God's mercy? When it's easier to snap back or be sarcastic with a student, I am asked to hold my tongue and pursue the better road.

Lord, we ask you to shower us with mercy today and always. May we, in turn, be fountains of your mercy for those we encounter, especially those who need it most. Amen.

Confirmed in the Spirit

On Friday night, 19 young men and women became empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation. It was a night that was a long time coming - it took a lot of preparation (by both the catechists and the students) and a lot of prayer.

And it was absolutely wonderful.

During the Rite of Confirmation, I was blessed to read the names of my students to the Bishop (see picture below). I was so proud of each of them.

A few parents came up to me to thank me and let me know how their children have grown in their faith this year. It was affirming to hear, and it gave me great hope for the future of our Church.

Let us continue to pray that these young people continue to be guided by the Holy Spirit throughout their lives. May they make wise choices and be filled with courage to do what is right in the eyes of God.

Planting Seeds of Faith

After the students' Confirmation vigil and rehearsal last night, one of the moms introduced me to her daughter's sponsor by saying, "This is the woman who's taught my daughter all about the Catholic faith." I was astonished that she would give me so much "credit," as this particular family is one I know of that practices the faith regularly and engages in opportunities of service and growth in relationship with God. It was a simple affirmation, and it was one I needed, as (in the education field, as anyone would likely tell you) it's hard to know sometimes if one is making a difference.

This ties into what my Bible Study group was discussing the other night - we often plant seeds but do not ever know if those seeds have taken root and blossomed. (If we saw the fruit of every seed "planted," I imagine we'd lose a little (or a lot of) humility.) We have to rely on faith and the grace of God.

I pray that the seeds that have been planted in these young people over their years at our Catholic school and over the experiences they've had with their family and friends will one day take root and hold firm. May God bless them abundantly and the Holy Spirit fill them with the Gifts and Fruit they need to be men and women for Christ. Amen.