Catholic School Teacher

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Hi,

This is my first post here! I’m a geoscience, possible science education major at University of Arizona!

I have concluded I have little interest in teaching in secular schools as they are now run and would love to teach at a Catholic High School. I am finding many grants to complete my education with an obligation to teach at a school district under certain conditions and am curious if there is any assistance with agreement to teach at a Catholic institution.

Also if anyone has any advice on how to proceed in general that would be greatly appreciated. My advisors are not well versed in the private school arena.

Thanks,

WarrenA
 
This likely vaires quite a bit from locale to locale. Different states have different laws and different dioceses have different regulations, policies, and histories.

My advice would be to contact your diocesan Office of Education (or similarly named office…each diocese seems to call it something slightly different) and ask to speak with the director. Most should be more than willing to help out someone who is interested in serving in this capacity. You are their future. 🙂
 
Hello and Congratulations on discerning your vocation!

It takes a special person to be a high school teacher, a Religious secondary school- even more so.🙂

There are private, independent schools, and then there are private, parochial schools. They are not the same genres.

I am not aware of undergrad tuition assistance, as such, but I have been out of the game for a while. I do know that some Catholic universities will offer as much as 50% reduced tuition rate to Catholic school employees working toward their graduate degrees.

The best way to gain entrance to these sorts of schools is to make yourself known to the principal. If you worship at a Church affiliated with the school, that is helpful to mention. Take resume around to the office and ask to meet the principal and share your interest. If you are able to work for them as a substitute teacher, that would be a great way for everyone to get the lay of the land.

Network among your friends, alumni, teachers and family to announce your interest and see if they can give you an introduction. A lot of teaching hires happen at the very last minute as numbers of students become clear. Be patient.

Good luck!
 
This isn’t exactly what you are looking for, but the University of Notre Dame has a program (here) where you teach in Catholic schools for 2 years and study at the university during the summer and come out with a masters in education.
 
I taught constitutional law and constitutional history in two universities. Dull subject mostly. So I had to keep their attention with antics. For the first three days of each semester my students walked into complete darkness. Then a light over me came on and showed me dressed as Thomas Jefferson as I began teaching. Then same method on to John Adams. I admit I am not any sort of actor, but it kept my students attention. That was the key. It became a very popular course, especially when I showed up at the student Halloween party as one of my teaching characters.

Now these were college students, some even my age, but for me, it just worked. I think it was because I really believed in my subject and in teaching.

Having gone to a Catholic High School way back in the 1950’s I’m sure many things have changed. However, teenagers are the same and we were. They, as we did, will take you to the edge sometimes. Don’t make a mistake and fall off.

I made a huge mistake one day, I was teaching with my zipper unzipped and showing my whiter underdrawers as I sat on my stool. I kept wondering why eveyone was giggling and pointing to the lower me, until one of the guys said , “Doc, you’re unzipped”. Very embarrassed, I quickly turned and zipped myself up. Then turned back and told them the four stages of manhood.
  1. Diapers
  2. Failure to put the zipper up
  3. Failure to put the zipper down
  4. Diapers—and it seems I’m in the second stage, thank heavens.
That kind of covered it but I did get the nickname “Doc Zipper” for awhile.

So, you are going to screw up sometimes. It’s Murphy’s Law. I don’t know if all this helps or not. I wish you luck—and God Bless.
 
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