#mrgatshc

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When your students, with the help of your fellow faculty, pull off a wonderful prank to cap off the year—and to lift your spirits up just a tad. Well played; well played. #JustTeacherThings #MrGAtSHC (at School of the Holy Child)

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When your students know that you've had a rough week grading, commenting on, and and conferencing first drafts of essays with students; asking yourself, "How do I reach these keeds?" (Eric Cartman voice) because you're doubting that your students learned the elements of English composition; and wanting the week to be over. They send you a Google doc rife with animated .gifs that include references to *The West Wing*, reactions to student writing taboos like "emotions," "things," "get," etc. I forget sometimes how dorky these girls really are. Thanks, girls. Love, Mr. OG #JustTeacherThings #TeacherAppreciationWeek #MrGAtSHC (at School of the Holy Child)

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It feels good to feel appreciated. #JustTeacherThings #MrGAtSHC #ChipotleIsBae (at Larchmont, New York)

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Getting theatrical today! Today, my sophomores acted out Rochester's proposal to Jane Eyre in class, reinforcing how weather, nature, and the surrounding area more generally affect the mood of the scene. "If only it were raining to make it more real!" one of my students tells me. "Yeah, but the air horn sound effect works, too," another responds. 📢📢#JustTeacherThings #MrGAtSHC #LearningByDoing (at School of the Holy Child)

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So a student didn't read for a pop reading quiz. So she drew me this doodle instead. Note how I'm faceless and "da realist." I'm glad she made me a member of that literary movement. 😑 #JustTeacherThings #ShitMyStudentsWrite #MrGAtSHC #DaRealist (at School of the Holy Child)

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"Above all, trust in the slow work of God." – St. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. For many of my colleagues and friends in teaching, renewing a contract is just part of the deal. Nothing crazy, nothing new. However, I consider this day to be a milestone. The past two years were filled with uncertainty and discernment: what do I want to do with my life? Am I meant for teaching? Is this school the right place for me? Do my ambitions lie elsewhere? The years following my graduation were rife with these major questions, and while I superficially joked and laughed about my absolute cluelessness, I waged a war within myself and didn't know what was what. I needed answers. Now. My friends in Campus Ministry, the Arrupe House, and in the English department at Saint Ignatius all told me to pray the prayer of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. They mentioned to me on numerous occasions, "Denny, you need to slow down. Pace yourself and realize that everything will fall into place." I prayed; actually, I struggled to pray. This prayer is hard. It, along with Saint Ignatius' Suscipe, is a full surrender of yourself to God's will. It's not easy; nothing worthwhile ever is easy to attain. "It is the law of all progress," he says, "that it is made by passing through / some stages of instability - / and that it may take a very long time." A very long time indeed: 24 months, or just about. However, I secured a job at a school I knew would be home—a place where I knew I would grow, learn, and be nurtured in all aspects of my life. I have met some wonderful people in my colleagues, some of whom have quickly become a close group of friends, and especially in my students, who drive me up the wall sometimes but know they are loved. Receiving this contract is a firm reminder to me that God has slowly been at work all this time, leading me to the place where I feel I truly belong and can do good work. Work that is both formative and educative. Work that is meant for a greater mission. This is the first job that I have held for longer than one year. This is stability. This is grace. Thanks be to God. #AMDG #JustTeacherThings #YearTwo #MrGAtSHC (at School of the Holy Child)