Category Archives: shalom

Should I feel guilty about how much school I’ve missed the past 2 weeks?

Posted on by

Should I feel guilty about how much school I’ve missed the past 2 weeks?
Last week I was on Shalom. This week I went on two Urban
Plunges. And soon I am leaving for Ven a Ver Appalachia.  As I said yes to be a part of each of these
experiences I never once decided to look at a calendar to see how close all of
these events were. Yikes. Obviously the idea of discernment and praying on
things is lost on me – I always feel like it’s better to say yes in the moment
and figure out a way to make it all work later.
The amount of time that I have spent/am spending outside of
the classroom during these last couple of weeks has me feeling guilty,
especially since I have three sections of freshmen and none of these
trips/experiences are geared toward them. To make matters worse my freshmen
have a huge project (The Little Big History Project) due on Friday and I have
not been there as much as I would have liked to check in with them and help
them.
I seriously considered giving up one of these events to be
physically present in the classroom – but didn’t. I am not sure that I made the
right choice but I am rationalizing that I did by being super thankful for the
following things;
Big History/Big
Voices team is awesome
The value of a collaborative class is that we have 6 teachers
plus the incredible ally-ship of Michelle and Joan which makes this team super dynamic
and sustainable – also our group chat memes are 🔥. My teaching life changed
dramatically when I was teamed with Joanie and Gaeby who are the best buds ever. We pick up the slack for each
other, we check in on each other’s students, and we cover for each other when
needed. I know that when I am gone they are there to help my students because
we are all doing the same things. The reality that my class will be able to go on without me is both humbling and liberating.  Having Jenny who I share all of my 9th
graders with helps me to have a more holistic view of my students, helps us
each use our strengths, and allows me to learn SO much from a teacher I have an
incredible amount of respect for.  In simpler terms my freshmen were in good hands without me. 
I need to see my
students outside of the classroom
It is easy to really forget all that is on our students’
plate, and at the same time it is easy for them to not realize that their
teachers are real dynamic humans who exist in the real world. The time spent in
small groups on Shalom or working with them side by side on Urban Plunge was so
valuable to me. I have a great appreciation for them and the ways in which they
are burned out but still wanting to engage. Though I could have done without
sharing a cabin with the juniors on retreat,I have a better appreciation for
their experience and also feel like I gained more rapport with them. I came back with a
better sense of how to lesson plan for them for the rest of the year because I understand them just a bit better.
Also – it is hard for me to “catch up” after missing school, so I can only imagine how hard it is for our students. I definitely came back more compassionate to my students who have had extended absences as frustrating as keeping up with make up work can be. 
I needed to
connect with my colleagues more than I realized.
The most valuable thing about these retreats to echo Siobhan’s
recent post is that I get a chance to connect with my colleagues in an “unproductive”
way. Spending 3 hours in rush hour traffic on a bus with Tiz, Ashley Chavez,
Monique, Siobhan, and Natalie was actually awesome. Serving 1500 meals with
Ashley Clemens who I never see during the regular work day was awesome. I came
home from all of those experiences so drained but so recharged at the same
time. From what I am learning about myself and what I have learned in the engagement team is that we all want connection and I would argue that retreats are one way for teachers/staff to have this in an authentic way.
How do you all feel about missing a lot of class time for
other school sponsored events? What do you get out of the experience that leads
you to faithfully sign up for some of these events? 

True Life: I Actually Like Retreats.

Posted on by
I have a love-hate relationship with retreats.

As a highschool student I hated retreats. As a high school campus minister who ran the retreats, I hated them. However, as a Carondelet faculty member, I love retreats.

Last year I dabbled in retreats by attending Alpha and Shalom. This year I went big….Alpha, Kairos, and then Shalom. (By the way, this was my first time every participating in Kairos and I wear my Kai-rock with pride) Each retreat was a unique experience. All of them gave me the opportunity to interact with students and faculty members in a way that created connection.

I led small groups on each retreat and had the privilege of getting to learn more about our students in a more relaxed environment. Kairos and Shalom really gave me an opportunity to sit and talk with fellow faculty members. It was legitimately fun to be able to laugh, eat, and share stories with faculty members outside of my department. It seemed on Kairos and Shalom that faculty members needed the retreat just as much as the students. Just as we hope the students relax and create bonds on the retreats, I hope that we, as a faculty, can relax and create bonds with one another.

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. – Chinese Proverb