Why a Catholic Teacher Needs to Know Where They Come From.

One of my favourite speakers has the great line, “You don’t need a great idea. You just need a good idea that you are prepared to use.” Over the years I have learned that most of the time all it takes to change a paradigm or an important area of our lives is simply a good idea that we are prepared to use.

Jesus Teacher Tech

I’m assuming that if you teach religion in a Catholic School you are a “Jesus Teacher” but are you using technology? Why not? Look at your students do you think they can be engaged by a lecture and a power point?  

‘Catholic’ teachers undermining the Church?

What do you seriously think will happen when enough of the staff of any Catholic school are non-Catholic or when enough of the Catholic staff within it either don’t practice their faith or can’t stand most of what the Church actually teaches?

TIRED, STRESSED, EXHAUSTED? Personal Effectiveness For Teachers

I survived my first year of teaching by eating sausage rolls stuffed inside hot dog buns. Up at 5.00 a.m. to prepare lessons, I stumbled through the mornings, hungry and heavily caffeinated, before fleeing to the school canteen in my first period off, sometimes as late as 2pm to attack a super-sized sausage roll crammed inside a white hot dog bun which moments later I drowned in tomato sauce.

Music Matters – Episode 3

A Glimpse of Heaven – Why Music matters in a Catholic School.

In the last article we looked at the power of music to take the truths of the faith and present them in a way that engages students, sticks in their heads, and ends up on their ipods.

Why a 16th Century Mantuan Matters in Milson’s Point

A rather imposing sculpture situated in the foyer of St Aloysius’ College, Sydney, recently sparked a conversation about role models and the impact a 16th century Mantuan has had on the Aloysian community in Milson’s Point.

A Crossroads in Catholic Education

Australian Catholic education has undergone significant change over the past forty years. While the various transitions have been relatively smooth, substantial and daring challenges remain.

The Paradox of Work & Rest

In the last edition of Being Catholic I wrote about the sacred power of paying attention, so it was with some interest that I read a piece written a few weeks ago in the Sydney Morning Herald that declared that Australians are working longer and harder than ever before.

Engaging with the sacred

Opening children to the beauty of the Church through the Rosary and Benediction.

I am very lucky to work in a Catholic School where the Catholic name actually means something. We attend Mass as a whole school (350 students) once a fortnight and we celebrate the liturgical calendar (both feasting and fasting).

Girl… Interrupted

I found out last week that she was gone. Whisked away by what was left of her family, another school, starting again, the end result… predictable.