ACE Teaching Fellows

By Andrew Hoyt

On May 16th, Dr. David Yeager, an ACE 11 graduate, served as co-organizer and program chair for a special convening at the White House titled "Excellence in Education: The Importance of Academic Mindsets." An assistant professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, Yeager is a leading researcher in the fields of adolescent development and social psychology.

The convening at the White House, sponsored by the Raikes Foundation and co-hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Department of Education, gathered a diverse group of experts and stakeholders in order to identify channels for using insights from experimental behavioral science in U.S. educational settings.

Yeager and his collaborators at Stanford University—Carol Dweck, Greg Walton, Dave Paunesku and Geoffrey Cohen—have shown that there is more to academic success than raw cognitive ability or curriculum and instruction. Students' mindsets—how school looks and feels to them, from their perspective—can powerfully affect whether students rebound from difficulty and sustain motivation in the face of adversity. Importantly, Yeager and others have designed brief, web-based activities that redirect students' mindsets and unlock their motivation, in some cases resulting in dramatically reduced achievement gaps months and years later.

For instance, researchers have shown that when students believe that intelligence is a fixed trait, unable to be changed, they avoid challenges and respond to difficulty by giving up. However, Yeager and colleagues have developed brief interventions that teach neuroscience facts about the potential for the brain to grow and develop when it works on challenging tasks—called a "growth mindset." When this message has been taught via the Internet to thousands of students around the country, it has resulted in increases in GPA and reductions in course failure rates. Findings are generally strongest among low-income and racial minority students, who may have the greatest reason to question whether educators doubt their intellectual ability—something that makes this research especially relevant for efforts to promote social justice.

Yeager stresses that these interventions are not "magic." "Psychological interventions are carefully-calibrated tools. If we want to use them responsibly to produce educational change at scale, we need to think carefully about how to embed these ideas in everyday practice," says Yeager. "This meeting was designed to bring leaders together to talk about how we can achieve an R&D agenda that empowers practitioners to successfully address unproductive student mindsets and promote educational equality in their classrooms."

As a former ACE middle school teacher at Saints Peter and Paul School in Tulsa, Yeager notes that research on mindsets has much in common with the philosophy education he encountered in Catholic schools. He notes that at the heart of any kind of moral development is a belief that a person can fundamentally be developed and improved, with the right kind of support. He believes that having a "growth mindset" is essential not just for supporting learning but also for creating virtuous adults.

The presentations at the White House convening investigated three areas for future research: understanding how to maximize the effects of mindset interventions, expanding the array of effective practices that instill adaptive mindsets, and developing improved measures to learn from practice.

For Yeager, the work on mindsets exemplifies the fact that simple, well-designed social-psychological interventions can provide cost-effective and powerful ways to reduce achievement gaps and improve student learning. For more on mindsets, Yeager's work in adolescent development, and the White House convening, visit his website.

Every participant in ACE's formation initiatives has a story of faith and enthusiasm to tell. Recent references to the Alliance for Catholic Education in an array of media offer an up-close look at people who are passionate about Catholic schools.

Here's a quick tour of some "before" and "after" snapshots of lives, before or after the ACE experience. The "ACE Summer" of 2013 is just beginning, so these stories are just a few of the additional journeys that will bring inspiration to students, schools, and others nationwide.

· Allyn Doyle has graduated from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. She's an excellent scholar-athlete who will pursue a master's degree as part of the ACE Teaching Fellows program for formation of Catholic school teachers.

· Across the Atlantic Ocean, two Irish graduates of St. Patrick's College in Dublin—Ciara O'Brien and Hannah Snowe—are also among the extraordinary applicants selected to join the 20th cohort of aspiring educators in ACE Teaching Fellows.

· Jamie Tadrzynski, a dedicated teacher whose zeal for service most recently placed her at a Navajo Nation Reservation as a Mercy Volunteer Corps Missioner, is headed to Notre Dame as an ACE Teaching Fellow, and you can see her recently posted announcement about her blog.

· Rev. Timothy Klosterman, a young priest based in Los Angeles, recently wrote about his own journey and the fact that he has been accepted in ACE's Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program, which forms future leaders for Catholic schools. For his story, see the second article in this package from the Los Angeles archdiocesan newspaper.

· Two newly ordained priests—Rev. Andrew Nelson and Rev. Luke Marquard—offer inspiring "after-ACE" stories; they are alumni of the 7th and 12th cohorts of ACE Teaching Fellows, respectively.

· Jared Dees is an ACE graduate who has continued to follow his passion for teaching and has published a book, 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator. He is interviewed by blogger Marc Cardaronella. Jared, too, is a blogger about faith-filled education.

Andrew Nelson, ACE 7, was ordained to the priesthood of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire on June 1. As a teacher with ACE Teaching Fellows (STT), Andrew lived in Biloxi, MS, and taught middle school and high school social studies at Mercy Cross HS. Describing his call to the religious life, Fr. Andrew says, "It was not one definitive moment or a shout from God, but rather a whisper in my heart. It was in the ordinary that God spoke to me, in prayer, the Sacraments, through coworkers, students, friends and the world around me."  Read more about him here. To see a 5 minute video highlighting what happens during an ordination to the priesthood, click here.

Also ordained this spring: Luke Marquard, ACE 12, who joined the priesthood of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on May 25. As an educator in ACE STT, Luke lived in Denver and taught middle school at Guardian Angels. Speaking of what most helped him take the step into seminary, Fr. Luke says, "Making daily Mass and regular confession a part of my life, which both disposed me to better hearing God's call and gave me the confidence to respond to it." Read more about Luke here.

This year ACE welcomes its 20th cohort of teachers, many of whom are recent college graduates, to the program.  We thank God and we thank them for their commitment to Catholic schools across the country!

Savannah Hobbs in Atlanta, GA
Maximilian Napier in Atlanta, GA
Elizabeth Anton in Biloxi, MS
Jenna Brumleve in Biloxi, MS
Charlie Swanson in Biloxi, MS
Adrian Weaver in Biloxi, MS
Kaitlyn Wergrzyn in Biloxi, MS
Brett Cavanaugh in Brownsville, TX
Brian Jerger in Brownsville, TX
Chelsey Ramon in Brownsville, TX
Elizabeth Watters in Brownsville, TX
Allyn Doyle in Chicago, IL
Ryan Gallagher in Chicago, IL
Maria Rodriguez in Chicago, IL
Greg Westerhaus in Chicago, IL
Kathryn Bodie in Corpus Christi, TX
David Schuler in Corpus Christi, TX
Katherine Baglini in Dallas, TX
Dallas Bunsa in Dallas, TX
Lauren Hamilton in Dallas, TX
Selena Rangel in Dallas, TX
Michael Wixted in Dallas, TX
Liam Concannon in Denver, CO
Crystal Lee in Denver, CO
Jaime Malandra in Denver, CO
Emily Rankin in Denver, CO
Brian Schwartze in Denver, CO
Andrea Carrera in Fort Worth, TX
Anne DeMott in Fort Worth, TX
Michael Murphy in Fort Worth, TX
Geoffrey Perks in Fort Worth, TX
William Dolan in Jacksonville, FL
Jessica Jones in Jacksonville, FL
Carl David Jones in Jacksonville, FL
Timothy McEvoy in Jacksonville, FL
Connor Geraghty in Los Angeles East, CA
Michael Kennedy in Los Angeles East, CA
Leah Malm in Los Angeles East, CA
Ashley Armendariz in Los Angeles South Central, CA
Samuel Rathke in Los Angeles South Central, CA
Eric Harper in Memphis, TN
Kelly Koeth in Memphis, TN
Liz Moore in Memphis, TN
David Murray in Memphis, TN
Yesenia Guzman in Mission, TX
MarcAngel Nava in Mission, TX
Alejandro Sigala in Mission, TX
Samantha "Sammie" Pahls in Mobile, AL
Michael Shippie in Mobile, AL
Cristina Couri in New Orleans, LA
Benjamin DeMarais in New Orleans, LA
Janelle Louis in New Orleans, LA
Jason Taulman in New Orleans, LA
Rachel Boggs in Oakland, CA
John Jackson in Oakland, CA
Allison Jeter in Oakland, CA
Russell McFall in Oakland, CA
Mary Beth McLean in Oakland, CA
Anna Gorman in Oklahoma City, OK
Matthew Maloney in Oklahoma City, OK
Erin Rosario in Oklahoma City, OK
Ryan Smith in Oklahoma City, OK
Joseph Donahue in Pensacola, FL
Iain Flannery in Pensacola, FL
Sarah Miller in Pensacola, FL
Ciara O’Brien in Richmond, VA
Matthew Pendergast in Richmond, VA
Kelly O’Brien in Sacramento East, CA
Amelie St. Romain in Sacramento East, CA
Elizabeth Jen in Sacramento West, CA
Tom Jensen in Sacramento West, CA
Deandra Lieberman in Sacramento West, CA
Thomas Spring in Sacramento West, CA
Melanie Brintnall in San Antonio, TX
Maria Martinez Hernandez in San Antonio, TX
Bradley Stalder in San Antonio, TX
Bryson Wade in San Antonio, TX
Roscoe Anderson in Santa Ana, CA
Donald Green in Santa Ana, CA
Hannah Snowe in Santa Ana, CA
Bridget Thomas in Santa Ana, CA
Kevin Casey in St. Petersburg, FL
Kaleen DeFilippis in St. Petersburg, FL
Mary Pullano in St. Petersburg, FL
Michael Donnelly in Tucson, AZ
Rose Raderstorf in Tucson, AZ
Vincent Rossi in Tucson, AZ
Linda Scheiber in Tucson, AZ
Lauren Barnett in Washington, D.C.
Alexander Bavis in Washington, D.C.
Kevin Coughlin in Washington, D.C.
Anselee Trotta in Washington, D.C.

The Year of Faith is a celebration of our calling to follow Christ and how we can come to know Jesus in our commitment to the ACE community and Catholic Schools. Our prayer is that we can learn to find Jesus in the ordinary and routine things of our lives.

The academic year is coming to an end, and this can be a stressful time for both teachers and students. Both are eager for summer. But among ACE teachers there is a transition about to happen. Some will be finishing a two-year commitment and graduating—moving on to the next step in their lives. The first-year teachers will finish the semester and prepare to return to their own studies. Both of these cohorts know they have to say good-bye to their students.

A question for every person involved in Catholic education is this: How do I end this school year well and say good-bye to my students?

Chapter 17 of John’s gospel is called the farewell discourse of Jesus. He is reminding his disciples that he is leaving them. He is about to undergo his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension and then return to the Father. Take a moment and reflect on John 17: 20. Jesus says this in prayer:

            “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe

in me through their word, that they all may be one.”

Jesus is praying for both the disciples and us. We hear the Word of God through the Scriptures and the teaching of the Church. God’s Word is a gift to us, and it teaches us an important lesson. We are being invited to be one with each other—with the challenge to be one in the same way that Jesus and the Father are one.

How does this idea of unity help us learn to say good-bye to our students? Jesus taught the disciples that they were to continue his mission by creating community. This is what Jesus means when he prays that “they may be one.” We are supposed to be bound together with Jesus at the center of our lives.

Here is a concrete way this works out. When you applied to join ACE, you were asked to write about a teacher who inspired you. Do you remember whom you wrote about? I have read many of these essays, and there is a general pattern that can be seen. Think about the person you wrote about, and see if you recognize a pattern. The teachers who inspire us are the ones who cared about us, were generous with their time, inspired us to become our best selves, and were passionate about the subject. The relationship of a great teacher with his or her students makes a connection that will never be forgotten. You, as Christ the Teacher, are one with your students, and they are one with you.

Instead of saying good-bye, say farewell to your students.

This may seem like a small thing, but let your farewell remind both you and your students that you are, and always will be, connected by the love of Christ.

God bless you and your students as you bring this year to completion. Farewell, and Christ be with you!