January 24, 2025

2025 Catholic Schools Week Supplement

10 guiding principles for everyone involved in Catholic education

Kristin Mitchell, the middle school coordinator and teacher of health and physical education at St. Charles Borromeo School in Bloomington, shares a moment of joy with students Evelyn Glant, left, Enedina Kassamanian and Lucy Laughlin. (Submitted photo)

Kristin Mitchell, the middle school coordinator and teacher of health and physical education at St. Charles Borromeo School in Bloomington, shares a moment of joy with students Evelyn Glant, left, Enedina Kassamanian and Lucy Laughlin. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

For 17 years, Kristin Mitchell has dedicated her life to teaching in a Catholic school, trying to model her approach on her favorite teacher.

“There is no better leader than Jesus,” says Mitchell, the middle school coordinator and teacher of health and physical education at St. Charles Borromeo School in Bloomington. “He guides my teachings on a daily basis.”

When Mitchell became a finalist in the 2023-24 school year for the Saint Theordore Excellence in Education Award—the highest honor the archdiocese gives an educator—she shared an essay that could serve as a guide for everyone involved in Catholic education.

Gleaning from her essay, here are 10 guiding principles to consider:
 

  1. “Teaching is a work of art, and it is a true commitment to give each child the gift of grace, acceptance and love. These are the same gifts that Jesus bestows upon each of us daily.”
     
  2. “Mistakes, poor choices, confusion and bad attitudes will happen, yet how we react to those issues is always under our control. Modeling self-control, mercy and grace for our students, no matter the circumstance, is a valuable part of leadership.”
     
  3. “Before we can expect our students to excel and prosper, we must create an environment in which they are included, seen and valued.”
     
  4. “I pray daily for the strength and patience to make a positive contribution to our school.”
     
  5. “The culture of our school chooses joy over judgment, faith over negativity, and hope over despair.”
     
  6. “Each day, I set a goal to smile and greet every student that comes my way. I love to stand at the door and make eye contact with every sweet soul that enters the gym or my health classroom.”
     
  7. “I work to know my students’ interests, stories, struggles and passions. Connecting with students is the very important first step to being able to teach them. I believe that the Lord desires a connection with each one of us.”
     
  8. “I work to integrate the Catholic faith into all I do as a teacher. This is apparent in the physical education setting as we constantly discuss sportsmanship and the true purpose of sports and games. I tell my students that God did not create sports for personal glory, but rather as an opportunity to come together in fellowship to better ourselves and our opponents.”
     
  9. “My students are often reminded that how we treat each other in a sport or game is more important than individual statistics or the number of victories attained. We leave our true mark on others not with superior skill, but by choosing respect, kindness, sportsmanship and integrity.”
     
  10. “The Catholic faith is present in my health classroom as we discuss making choices that God would want for us. My students know he desires a relationship with us and hopes to guide us, but we need to embrace the power of a pause to let God into our choices. We discuss the power of thinking, ‘What would Jesus do?’ before we make quick, impulsive decisions.” †
     

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