When I started my career as a teacher in a Toronto public high school, I found myself asking, "How can I, as a Roman Catholic, demonstrate Christian leadership in a secular setting?".
My approach to education has always been to extend learning beyond the classroom, and to provide my students with truly meaningful and positive experiences in their lives. I teach Latin and Classical Civilizations, and these programmes allow me to foster a sense of community amongst my students. Because the students study ancient Greek and Roman cultures, the end of the semester coincides with a "feast" held at a local Greek or Italian restaurant. This experience helps to further strengthen bonds of friendship that were developing over the course of the semester.
In addition, I have organized March Break trips to Europe for my students to experience these cultures first hand. During the Italy trip, I took these public high school students to the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. While some students were emotionally touched by their visit to St. Peter's, one student in particular, who always made sarcastic comments about Christianity, actually sat in front of the main altar and quietly listened to the sounds of an organ.
Afterwards, he approached me and told me that he could have "sat there and listened all day long." In the past, I never knew how to respond to his sarcasm, but on that day, something deeply touched him, and I had nothing to do with it: a Greater Power was at work.
It is these experiences, as well as everyday classroom events, that allow me to demonstrate my Christian beliefs concerning community, respect, and integrity. Along the way, I have learned much about the importance of faith through my students" responses to the experiences that I have provided for them. For a person to have faith, it is not necessary to be present in a church or religious setting, but rather, it means to be able to display Christian values, such as kindness and compassion, to every person you may encounter in your life.
