How would you answer this question? At its core, teaching is about _____. Fr. Tim Scully, CSC, co-founder of ACE answers the question this way: "Teaching is ultimately a sacrament of friendship." And Noah Franske, ACE STT second year teacher and our From the Field focus this week, agrees. "I don't think I ever realized how much I could care for another person," he says."You have to reach deep down to find that kind of a relationship, and teaching creates that experience."
The native Minnesotan is learning this valuable lesson in St. Petersburg, FL, where he teaches math at St. Petersburg Catholic High School. "I had so many great math teachers in high school," he says. "I really wanted to give back." He goes on, "Most of my math students have never had a math teacher anywhere near their age. Bringing energy, enthusiasm, and a true love for math to the classroom makes them realize that math really can be fun and hip. Bringing my faith and life experiences into the mix also provides them with a solid role model, something several of my students need."
True to the give-and-take of relationship, Franske also emphasizes what he has learned from his students. "I've learned incredible patience, gratitude, and humility through my students' struggles. I've learned that nothing in life should be taken for granted. And I'm thankful for every day I have to learn from my students." Teaching is, he says, "truly life-changing."
Noah Franske will graduate the ACE program in July.
Christie is especially enthusiastic about literacy: "It's almost become an obsession. I want all of my kids to read at grade level or above, no excuses." It can be a challenge for any classroom, but Christie Hjerpe remains undaunted. "With Notre Dame ACE Academies we're developing a stronger school culture, with shared beliefs that all of our kids can make it to college and heaven."