ACE Advocates News

Good sportsmanship, respect for officials, sports as ministry—these are not fresh concepts for Marty Raines, associate director of Columbus, Ohio's Diocesan Recreation Association. In fact, they are common sense. "That's how I was raised," she says.

But after about 30 years of coaching (as a teacher, a principal, and now), the sports enthusiast knows that along many sidelines and courtsides, these concepts are often missing. So when she heard about Play Like a Champion Today®, she said to herself, "This sounds like something we should be doing in the diocese." She attended a Play Like a Champion conference and, she says, "I was sold."

Now in her fourth year with the diocese, Marty says it took a couple of years to roll out a plan for involving coaches and parents in the Play Like a Champion ministry. But as of today, nearly half of her 1000 coaches have attended a training session, with the remainder scheduled for sessions throughout the upcoming year.

Considering the influence these men and women have on the 10,000 children participating in the diocese's parish athletics, that's a tremendous impact Play Like a Champion will have in Columbus. Marty couldn't be happier about that.

True to her upbringing, Marty emphasizes that sports should bring out the joy and teamwork of children. Winning isn't everything, she says, which is why the question she always asks kids after a game is, "Did you have fun and did you try your hardest?"

Play Like a Champion is grateful for Marty's enthusiastic support of the program and recently recognized her for her service to the community and the Church in Columbus, Ohio.  The photo above shows her with the award, standing alongside Play Like a Champion's Kristin Sheehan and Clark Power.

It didn't take long for this first year teacher in Washington, DC, to discover the importance of English language development and its impact on student learning. By springtime, Bethany Berg says, "I already knew I needed more to support my students," many of whom were English language learners.

But where to find it? Through a colleague, Bethany discovered ACE's English as a New Language (ENL) program. She enrolled, spending two summer weeks of intensive study on Notre Dame's campus, then taking a year of on-line courses. Of the summer, she says, "In only two weeks, I walked away with not only a better understanding of what culturally and linguistically diverse students need in the classroom to find success, but also an overwhelming sense of support from the faculty and the entire cohort."

In addition, she continues, "My eyes were opened to an overwhelming need growing in schools across the country, which is the need to adequately educate the diverse student populations that fill our classrooms."

According to Bethany, the ENL program is well designed to do just that, calling the model perfect for Catholic schools. At a time when resources are scarce, when teachers, as Bethany says, "do more with less," ACE's ENL program trains them to use strategies that support the diverse learners in their classrooms. What's more, Bethany says, "It helps teachers understand that...answers will not come quickly and the work will not be easy."

Since her time in the ENL program, Bethany has begun a master's program in bilingual special education at George Washington University. She teaches at a Catholic school in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Anton Taruc, ACE 18, answers questions about his background, his inspiration, and his commitment to Catholic education.

What is your background—degree and experience of education—and your current position with the Alliance for Catholic Education?

I was born in the Bay Area but grew up in Bacolod City, Philippines. I moved back to the Bay Area for college: Saint Mary's College of California. I also spent a semester studying abroad at Oxford University. During my undergraduate years, I was an aspirant to be a brother with the De La Salle Christian Brothers. As I discerned my calling to enter the religious life, I had many opportunities to engage in service—most of which involved education. I was able to spend 2 summers teaching and living in community with minors in conflict with the law back in the Philippines. This experience allowed me to see the power of an education that took into account the real life needs of students. While I ended up not becoming a brother, the formation I received as an aspirant—with its focus on faith, service, and community—gave me a strong foundation for what I would do next.

After college, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Northeastern Thailand. I worked closely with the Thai Ministry of Education to develop programs that would help teachers in local villages apply student centered instruction. After my 2 years of Peace Corps service, I stayed on for another 2 and a half teaching English, Math, and Science. I was also able to spend some time working closely with a Master Teacher from the International School of Bangkok. All of these experiences gave me a wonderful vision of what good teaching instruction looks like and I've been blessed to take them into my 5th grade classroom in Compton, California.

One of the most important lessons I received before ACE was that teaching is a craft that has no ceiling. I've been fortunate to have had so much time to think and reflect about my beliefs and attitudes towards the craft of teaching (as well as being exposed to excellent examples of quality teachers) and I'm enjoying the process of developing this craft through the work I do in Compton.

What inspired your interest in Catholic education?

My desire to work with Catholic Education stems from my experience with the La Sallian tradition and the words, "Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve." These words are my slogan for every new endeavor. ACE is providing me with the right kind of formation to be the teacher I envision myself to be: a teacher led by faith; a teacher motivated by a desire to be of service to others; and a teacher who draws strength and energy from community.

How has your experience in ACE shaped your vision of education?

In ACE, I have countless opportunities to reflect on the difference between a job and a ministry. Through ACE, I've learned that at the heart of teaching is a desire to answer a special call. This call is often challenging, sometimes painful and always meaningful. My daily prayer is that all educators realize how fortunate we are to be involved in a vocation that is much more akin to a ministry than it is to a job. This is perhaps best expressed through one of my favorite poems:

Some people have a job in the church.
Others invite themselves into a ministry.
What's the difference you ask?
If you are doing it just because no one else will, it's a job.
If you are doing it to serve the Lord, it's a ministry.
If you quit because someone criticized you, it's a job.
If you keep on serving, it's a ministry.
If you'll do it as long as it does not interfere with your other activities, it's a job.
If you are committed to staying even if it means letting go of other things, it's a ministry.
If you quit because no one thanked you or praised you, it's a job.
If you stick with it even though no one recognized your efforts, it's a ministry.
It's hard to get excited about a job.
It's almost impossible not to get excited about a ministry.
If your concern is success, it's a job.
If your concern is faithfulness and service, it's a ministry.
If God calls you to a ministry, don't treat it like a job!

"It's hard to get excited about a job/ It's almost impossible not to get excited about a ministry"—how wonderful it would be if every teacher carried this in his/her heart. ACE has taught me that it is possible to view teaching as a ministry. My vision is that through our actions and the training we receive from ACE, we ACE teachers can inspire other teachers (be they neophytes such as ourselves or experienced veterans) to view teaching as a ministry.

When it comes to Catholic education, Susan Hendricks values history.

She values her own winding path to Catholic schools. One of seven children, she was raised in the Catholic faith. Her parents' modeling, she says, "influences me daily with my devotion to the Church and Catholic education." Because her father's Army career required multiple moves, however, only two of the eight schools she attended were Catholic. Later the young activist became a teacher and worked for several years in San Francisco's Mission District. Then she re-located to Maui and, she says, "Divine intervention guided me to a hidden jewel—Sacred Heart School of Lahaina—where I am honored to be principal."

The 150-yr-old school she now serves was founded by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts and later run by the Sisters of St. Francis. And here Susan's appreciation for history truly shines: "Standing on the shoulders of these consecrated giants and all of the everyday heroes that have gone before us is a gift of grace. We accept the mantel of duty to continue the legacy of preparing ourselves and our school community for salvation."

Now a participant in the Remick Leadership Program, Susan is devoted, "heart and mind to Catholic education." In her studies with the program, she has learned about the Church's strong foundation of support for Catholic schools. And, she says, "I am driven to share this history with my school community."

"I have learned that we do nothing alone, and that the relationships built in community of like-minded souls is a conspiracy of love, truth and action. The academic rigor and spiritual support in the ACE program has lifted my vision of Catholic education to a higher level of personal gratitude and political/social acumen. I am proud to be an agent of change in the movement of improving Catholic education today."

To learn more about the Remick Leadership Program, click here.

This spring, Rachel Hamilton said yes. "Yes" to the ACE Teaching Fellows program, and "yes" to God.

The recent Notre Dame graduate just started her first summer as a teacher in ACE Teaching Fellows. And she speaks eloquently about how two weeks' experience in the program is already beginning to shape her.

"If there is one thing that stands out to me...it is the idea of 'saying yes.' This is not simply because we hear the ACE faculty and staff repeatedly saying 'Thank you for saying yes to ACE.' It is more than that. It is about agency. It is about affirmation.

We are not thanked for 'accepting' a place in ACE, and I think that distinction is crucial. A simple acceptance is passive; saying yes is active. By saying yes we have committed to continue saying yes for the next two years: to our professors, to our supervisors, to the stresses of daily life, to our students, and to God. Saying yes means that we are actively choosing to give of ourselves over the next two years to serve the needs of our nation's children, and that this choice is a response to our calling manifested through our gifts, talents, and virtues."

I know the next two years will be filled with obstacles and moments of great stress. The ACE staff has been honest about that the entire time. Yet, hopefully, this continued affirmation of our own agency in choosing to serve and choosing to give and choosing to follow God's call will sustain us as we embark on our teaching journeys.