A Journey of Faith: June 2020

Anthony Maranise

This is the fourth and final in a series of blogs where I asked St. Ann educators if they would be willing to write a blog on what it has been like teaching during this pandemic. Several of our educators took time to write down their thoughts. So, this is the final St. Ann educator reflection. Last but not least is our eighth grade Religion educator, Anthony Maranise.

Most of my learners at St. Ann (and some of my faculty-friends) know that I am learning not only along with and from them regularly, but also as I simultaneously work towards my doctorate as I teach. I mention this simply because much of my doctoral coursework is online already. When the coronavirus outbreak began, as so many of you now know well, teachers across the world were ‘forced’ online to instruct their learners remotely. As a rather extroverted person, I derive much of my passion for teaching from the genuine joy of being able to directly and meaningfully interact with my learners – whether that is through in-person instruction or even mere casual pleasantries as we pass one another in the hallways. Though the precautionary impacts of the pandemic deprived me, temporarily, of that joy, it did not, could not, and will not stifle my passion for education nor the good zeal I have for the learners entrusted to my care. What the pandemic did do for me, as an educator, is – somewhat ironically – teach me two lessons which I would like to briefly share with you.

St. John Baptist de La Salle

Lesson 1: Insofar as I had adjusted to online learning myself for my own studies, I quickly learned that there exists a vast chasm of difference between learning online and teaching online. The latter (that is, teaching online) is far more difficult, even though the content I am responsible for disseminating may be elementary to me. It is not and never is about us as educators when we are teaching; it is solely about and for the benefit of our learners. Moreover, I am a religious educator so it is not only integral to my mission, but part of my responsibility not just to academically form my learners, but to also – in the words of the Patron Saint of Educators, St. John Baptiste de La Salle – “touch hearts which [I] cannot possibly do without the help of the Holy Spirit.” That said, I had to quickly take content I would have presented a certain way in classes in-person and format it, as meaningfully as possible for online engagement, in a way that would compel my learners to demonstrate concept mastery to that rigorous level they have come to expect from me (and I from them), but also in a way that would “touch [their] hearts”. The Holy Spirit “showed up and showed out”, as the phrase resounds, in their submitted works because many of their responses, comments, questions, and engagements made clear that their hearts had been touched, but in the process, they touched my own – adding even greater passion to my already aflame love for educating at St. Ann.

Lesson 2: An additional precautionary action during the pandemic (apart from the temporary physical distancing from our schools) was that of a sort of ‘freeze’ to public worship, liturgical, and/or sacramental offerings. I know that I am but one among many of the faithful for whom this was difficult, but I found some comfort in the wisdom of a book written by a friend of mine (and to many). In Living the Sacraments, Fr. David Knight writes, “In a sense, everything in life becomes a prayer. Everything becomes an experience of oneness with Christ because we are united with Him – in desire and in fact – in everything we do” (p. 37). There it was! Though our sacramental and worship lives – along with nearly every other conceivable aspect – had been disrupted to some extent by this pandemic, it would be in and through my passion for teaching and engagement (even though digital) with my learners (all of whom truly and vibrantly bear and outwardly reflect “the image and likeness of God” [Gen. 1:27] as we all do) that I would remain spiritually-grounded! The renowned Christian apologist and English literary phenom, C.S. Lewis, adds further support to Fr. Knight’s wise counsel, noting, “There are no ‘ordinary’ people. You have never spoken to a mere mortal… Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses” (The Weight of Glory). We took the precautions that we did out of loving concern for these persons – our neighbors – who are holy bearers of God’s own image and likeness. But, even though we were made physically distant from them – particularly for us educators, from our learners and faculty-friends – so many of us found greater union with God not through being apart from them, but in the being apart, by coming to realize how important these persons are to us; indeed, how much they teach, form, and add value to our own lives – often even more so than we do to theirs.

With prayers for us all, and in hope of health & wholeness,

Anthony

More St. Ann Blogs:
Kristina Miller https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/06/currahee.html

Melanie Wall https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/we-never-did-it-that-way-before.html

Annmarie Ghio https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/an-educators-take-on-remote-teaching.html

Liz Wehmeyer https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/an-educators-take-on-remote-teaching.html

Kris Crews https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/re-opening-catholic-schools-this-fall.html

Joseph Gulino https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/just-keep-doing-what-you-are-doing_9.html

Laura Battle https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/04/dr-laura-battle-this-weeks-guest-blogger.html

Anthony Maranise https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/04/holy-week-and-easter-during-time-of.html

Christy Matlock https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/04/from-st-ann-to-new-jersey-nurses-story.html

This is the third in a series of blogs where I have asked St. Ann educators if they would be willing to write a blog on what it has been like teaching during this pandemic. Several of our educators took time to write down their thoughts. So, the next several blogs will feature St. Ann educators reflecting on teaching during the pandemic. Next up is our fourth grade educator, Kristina Miller.

Currahee Mountain

Currahee!

How I handled remote learning was like that of a soldier. I was raised in a military family and I am a big WWII buff. I am especially fond of the story of the Band of Bothers which was made into an HBO series. In the series it shows how a group of paratroopers bonded in basic training by having to run up and down the Currahee Mountain in Georgia before heading to the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

Though I was not facing a war, I was facing a battle with Covid. A battle with isolation, a battle with a toilet paper shortage, and a battle in un-charted territory. First and for most, I was in a battle to protect my students and their families from undo stress, while still doing my utmost to provide them with a meaningful education. I also wanted to tend to their emotional needs as well.

Mrs. Miller & WW2 veteran on
the 75th anniversary on D-Day
in Normandy, France

Every day, I planned with my students’ families in mind. Can this work be done while mom is at work? Can this work be done with several kids at home? Is dad needing to use the computer as he works from home? Will the kids enjoy the day’s lesson? Am I too hard, too easy?

Finding balance during an unbalanced time was my greatest challenge. My nose to the grindstone, I didn’t look up until the mission was accomplished. And before you knew it, it was the last day of school and my class met on hangouts for a tear-filled farewell. After that, I gave in and cried the built-up tears of frustration, relief, and sadness. The sadness was that I couldn’t properly say goodbye to the children that I have had the honor of teaching for the past two years. I prayed that I have served them and their families well.

On Hangouts
with Students

I want to thank my parents for their support, for being great co-teachers, and cheerleaders! I couldn’t have done it without them- the foundation of successful remote learning relies heavily on the partnership of parents and the teacher.

It is through strong leadership, hard work, great support and a great love for each other that makes St. Ann a great school. While other schools gave up and shut down, we like the Band of Brothers, circled our troops and stormed the beaches of Covid, and we conquered remote learning with God’s help.

With deepest appreciation and love to all at St. Ann,

Kristina Miller