ACE Teaching Fellows

"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

This past Sunday’s Gospel reading shared the story of Thomas’ doubt in the wake of Jesus’ resurrection. Thomas, although a disciple of Jesus, was hesitant to believe because he had many doubts that it could be true. He had yet to lay eyes on the risen Christ, so in a very human way, he questioned his friends’ message. It’s possible that members of ACE 24 may have entered April Retreat with similar feelings of uncertainty. They have not yet stepped foot in their schools, met their community members, or experienced their new homes. Yet, they have put their faith in what is yet to come in ACE.

Teachers have the unique opportunity to be the architects of their classrooms. Great teachers create a community of learning that encourages a growth mindset, engages curious minds, and reminds students of their dignity both in and out of the classroom. In this kind of environment, teachers foster relationships that allow each student to take ownership of their learning. Creating this sort of classroom is not an easy task and takes a dedicated, intentional teacher.

April Adalim, one of ACE Teaching Fellows’ newest graduates, will be breaking ground this spring. Having committed to a third year of teaching middle school English Language Arts at St. Catherine in Tulsa, Oklahoma—the site of her ACE placement—April will be joining the community of St. Catherine in constructing a playground three years in the making. 

Dr. Brian Collier and current ACE Teaching Fellow Brendan Bell were mentioned for their educational work in TIME’s October 10th edition. The article details how the hit Broadway musical Hamilton by Lin Manuel Miranda is influencing everyday life, and it describes how Collier, the Coordinator of Supervision for ACE Teaching Fellows, directed his class this summer to design lesson plans around the musical. Bell is quoted talking about how the hip-hop music in Hamilton helps his students in Sacramento relate to history. The full article, including the section on Collier and Bell on page 3, can be read below.

READ THE ARTICLE FROM TIME MAGAZINE

New York Times religion commentator Samuel Freedman, who wrote about ACE's faith communities in Tucson in 2012, digs deeper into the unique formation provided by the ACE Teaching Fellows program. He spent a weekend with some of our teachers during the ACE Summer and walked away with an insightful look at the impact ACE has on preparing those who have discerned the call to priesthood and religious life.

Freedman writes: "Since its founding 23 years ago at Notre Dame, ACE has trained 1,753 college graduates to teach for two years in Catholic schools with low-income, largely nonwhite student bodies. Not unlike priests, brothers or sisters, ACE volunteers live in intentional households, being paid a stipend so modest that they are compelled by finances as well as faith to cook, clean, plan and pray communally.

A handful entered the seminary in the first 12 years. Then, in 2005, ACE began to promote vocations by taking interested teachers on a pilgrimage, and it started the annual Vocation Day — a mixture of worship services and question-and-answer sessions. This summer’s version attracted a sizable number of the 185 ACE teachers on campus for required graduate courses in education.

By now, 41 ACE alumni have gone “into formation,” as Catholic lexicon puts it, for the priesthood or a religious order. Of them, nine men have been ordained as priests and one woman has taken her vows. Another 10 alumni are still studying, while the remaining 21 left the process."

Read the full article from The New York Times