Heart and School Podcast
God's heart. Your school.
Educators and friends, Gina, Nicky, and Laura, share inspiration, practical tips and laughs to encourage you in your calling as a Catholic School educator. Come to have your cup filled with reminders of God’s love for you and your school!
Heart and School Podcast
S1 E2 - The Mission Has Schools
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In this episode of the Heart and School Podcast, Nicky, Laura, and Gina discuss the beauty of the Catholic School's mission as part of the greater mission of the Church. They also share practical tips for living the mission in our schools and classrooms.
On this episode of the Heart in School podcast, we discuss the beauty of the Catholic school's mission as part of the church's mission to share the good news of salvation with the world. And we share practical tips for living the mission in your school and in your classroom. We're so glad that you're here.
SPEAKER_02Welcome to the Heart in School Podcast, where we take time in the middle of our busy educator schedules to consider God's heart for each one of us in our schools. It's a place where you can find inspiration, practical tips, and hopefully a few laughs to encourage you in your calling as a Catholic school educator. My name is Gina, and each week I am joined by my educator friends Nikki and Laura. We can't wait to journey with you as we allow the Lord to fill our cups and remind us of the sacredness of our work in his schools. We posted our introductory episode and we have some listeners already. Along with that, I put a little video on our Instagram that asked if any of our listeners have had anybody bring a live animal to school. I just wanted to cast the net out and see if anybody has actually had it. And I had two people respond that they have, well, kind of like one and a half. So one um listener said that they've had the same student on different days bring a lizard, a guinea pig, and a gold orb weaver spider. Which I looked up and it's it's not a small spider. So Nikki, what would you do if somebody brought a giant spider into your classroom?
SPEAKER_00Man, I would immediately probably just make a lot of noises.
SPEAKER_02No, no, no, no, no, no. I mean, you you bring that to the principal, right, Laura? Like, that's gotta go home.
SPEAKER_01And we might package those up for uh for an early departure from school. I'm not sure. I'm not sure those friends are welcome.
SPEAKER_02The other listener said that they they had a student bring just a dear leg.
unknownOh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02Just a leg because the student wanted to show how the tendons worked. And I asked, were the students mortified or were they into it? And she said they were into it and they loved it, and it was like a thing.
SPEAKER_00How old were these students? Because if a second or third grader brought a deer leg in, it's like just slightly more concerning. Where'd you get it? Are you a hunting family? If you're not, even more concerning.
SPEAKER_02I didn't ask, but I can go back and ask and report back. So just never a dull moment. All right. So in our first 35 minutes of published content, we have talked about boogers, vomit, and sucking on toes, which is all definitely reality of working with kids. But we know that there is a deeper side to teaching as well, and a deeper side of an educator's heart. So we wanted to dive into some of that and decided to look at some small excerpts to start from some documents on Catholic education, or I guess some themes that come from these documents on Catholic education. So I guess before we get into a specific quote, I know Laura and I have been aware of these documents because we went over them in our grad school. But I guess my question for you, Laura, is did you know anything about these documents before you went to grad school? And then Nikki, do you know anything about the documents right now? Because I'll say for myself, I had no idea that the church wrote about Catholic schools. I know popes have encyclicals and write things about all different kinds of topics, and I just had no idea that there was actually like writing from the church leaders about Catholic education until I went to grad school.
SPEAKER_01So thanks, Gina. I also didn't know that there were documents that the church wrote about Catholic schools and the vision for Catholic schools, the mission of our schools, the role of the teacher in Catholic schools, the role of the Catholic school in the evangelizing mission of the church. I had no idea that they existed. So when Gina and I both participated in and completed the same program at the University of Notre Dame, it's the Marianne Remick Leadership Program as part of the Alliance for Catholic Education. So Father Ron Nuzzi, who started the program, also taught in the program. And he was the director of the program when we both went through it. And so he taught one class on the church documents about Catholic education. And I had been teaching in Catholic schools for years prior to that and had never thought about the church uh teaching anything about what it means to be a Catholic educator. And so the documents are really beautiful. They speak deeply about the importance of the role of Catholic schools, the importance of the teacher in Catholic schools, and the importance of every aspect and dimension of Catholic education. And it's just not something that many Catholic educators are aware of, in my experience. Nikki, had did you have any familiarity with the documents?
SPEAKER_00I am one of those people you just talked about who doesn't have very much experience with those documents. Over the years, I'm sure I read quotes, but have I still read them? Full disclosure, no. Which is why it's kind of exciting to be starting this journey and hearing more about it. So I'm excited to learn along with everyone. That's that's great.
SPEAKER_01Father Nesi and Thomas Hunt edited a book where they compiled the the text of the documents on Catholic education. And Father Nesi wrote this beautiful introduction to this book as well. And the documents are surprisingly accessible. Uh, but if you're not into reading church documents or trying to locate the at this point in time, there is a really great summary document that Archbishop Miller wrote called The Holy See's Teaching on Catholic Schools. It's a it's a very small book in size, and it's maybe 95 pages long. So you could read it in one sitting, and it's a really nice summary of the documents about what a Catholic school is and what it means to teach in a Catholic school and what the mission is, and a really good overview and summary of what makes a Catholic school Catholic and um how do we live this vocation in Catholic education. But it's worth checking out.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely worth checking out if somebody wants to dive a little bit deeper. And as we talk about some of these themes in the next few episodes might just get you interested a little bit more, and that would be a good place to start if you want to read more of the specific stuff. Uh I did think that today we could start with a quote from the book that you mentioned, Laura, that Father Nuzzi wrote, because I think he also does a good job of summarizing what's in a lot of these documents. And there's a quote that he says at the beginning that I think is is worth taking a little time to think about as we start our school years. So I will just read the quote if that works for you both, and we'll give our initial thoughts on that. So Father Nuzzi writes, because Catholic schools are an essential component of the church's overall educational and evangelical efforts, it stands to reason that such a school will be a place that operationalizes a Catholic worldview and a Catholic culture. Catholic schools are not isolated, independent entities advancing their own self-selected goals and purposes. Rather, to be a Catholic school is to be part and parcel of the Catholic Church. Stated differently, Catholic schools do not have a mission. The mission has schools. It's that last part that really gets me. Like Catholic schools do not have a mission, the mission has schools. Just curious your lady's thoughts on that as we get started here.
SPEAKER_00I think that's such a beautiful thing to start the year out remembering because again, I think I talked about how good I am at summering, like just being in summer mode, that it's really hard when I start a job again and just to re-hear those words like, no, I'm part of this greater mission and not just a mission for my school, but a mission given to me by God that I get to do through teaching. That's part of my contribution in this mission or God's working through me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's great, Nikki. I hold Father Nazi in the highest esteem and just I've learned so much from him and through the Remic Leadership Program, just in my own formation. Um, I had been a Catholic school educator for years before starting the program and didn't even know that the church had documents on Catholic schools or Catholic education. And it's just they're so inspiring to read and really to help understand the depth and the beauty of the call of the Catholic educator. So this is really you're you're cooperating with the Lord to do the work, the evangelizing work of the church through schools. And so, you know, we are teaching kids to read. That's really the means by which we're evangelizing. So um teaching kids math is really the means by which we demonstrate the order of God's design. You know, there are so many things that we might lose sight of in all the busyness of schools, but like the beauty with which the church talks about this call is, I think, inspiring and I think is really encouraging to those of us who are in the midst of it day in and day out, just really putting in so much heart and soul into what we're doing because we've been called by God to do this work. And I just think that this quote summarizes the importance of this work that we have, this ministry that we have as the mission of the church. And schools are one way that the church moves that forward. And I don't think there's any greater opportunity in the Catholic Church than through our schools to evangelize. And I just think that the way Father Nuzzi explains that and the way the church explains that, I think is really encouraging and inspiring.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I love the depth of working at a Catholic school because maybe I'm just saying what you said, Laura, in a bit of a different way, but that when we look at these students, they're so much more than just tasks. Like the things that we need to teach them are so much more than just tasks to like check boxes off. We're forming their very hearts and souls. And, you know, they have a calling in their own lives to go on and do whatever it is in the world, but they also have a calling to go to heaven and we get to be a part of that journey and help form their very spirits, right? Uh I mean for me, it makes me feel both excited and a little bit terrified, not gonna lie, because it's like this is really valuable stuff and it's very important. And I didn't even think about talking about this, but it's popping up on my heart already. But uh, as you two know, my son passed away unexpectedly, my 16-year-old son Jacob, and it was in May of 2025 that he passed away. And I remember we had over a thousand people come to his visitation, and my heart was completely moved when his eighth-grade religion teacher came through the line. And there was something about seeing her, she's an amazing teacher, she really deeply cares for the students and their souls. And I was like, Mary, thank you. Just thank you for preparing him because we never know, and you prepared his soul to meet his maker, and I'm just so deeply grateful for that. I just think there's such a depth to what we do, and it's such a gift to be called into this work.
SPEAKER_00I'm thinking more of a question of how do we keep the mission in the forefront of our minds when there are so many other things that are occupying our minds as we try to teach and figure out what's going on in the year. And I guess I'm just curious like how how do we keep this in the center when all of these other things are vying for our attention?
SPEAKER_01One thing that I found to be really helpful, particularly in understanding that our response to the invitation to this vocation in Catholic education, it's that it's a response. So it was initiated by the Lord, and we've been invited into this work to be co-workers with him in this mission. And I think that it's important, first of all, to recognize that that we've been invited to this, but it also is important to invite the Lord to be with us in every aspect of it. So he wants to be a part of everything, he is the initiator of it all. And so us also extending that invitation of Jesus, I invite you to be with me in this. I invite you to do this with me, whether that's supervising recess or watching a study hall or teaching a math class or something, that invitation is so critical. And I remember one time uh when I was a principal, this was quite a few years ago, is lamenting to my spiritual director, all I do as a principal is send emails. And he asked me a really challenging question of, well, do you invite the Lord to write those emails with you? And I said, I do not. And so that was really important for me to understand. Like he wants to be a part of that, even what we might view as mundane or not part of directly sharing the faith, he wants to be part of everything. And so inviting him to be part of that is really important. So I wrote a little post-it note that I kept on my computer, right on my keyboard, that said, Jesus, I invite you to write this email with me, because nothing is boring to him. And so, as if we are part of it and he's inviting us to it, it's not boring and he wants to be a part of it as well. So we've responded to an invitation. Let's in turn invite him to be present in all of it because he desires that, and that's how we live that mission more beautifully, is to really integrate that into everything that we do.
SPEAKER_02I love that so much. Yeah, and I I've heard you say before, Laura, maybe you could expand upon this a little bit, just that this invitation that you mentioned is part of our own road to salvation. And so the Lord isn't necessarily needing us to be perfect to be Catholic school educators, but to connect with him and work with him and grow ourselves along the way in our own personal journeys back home.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. I think it's really important to remember that that our ministry in Catholic schools is part of our call to grow closer to the Lord. And that's that's sometimes I think we miss that. Um, but that is a way we're being invited into deeper relationship with him through this. And that's a real gift too, that you, thanks be to God, have responded yes to, um, and understanding that there's a grace that comes with the yes.
SPEAKER_02To your to the specific question, Nikki, just a few tangible practical things that have helped me keep the mission on the forefront on a regular basis. So I think I mentioned this in the last episode actually, but stopping in the chapel, even if it's just for like a minute, to remember like, okay, Jesus is actually here in our school. Like the real Jesus is in our school, and I can pop in to see him even if it's just for 30 seconds to say hello or to make a request or give a thanksgiving. That's always a great way to for me to connect with the mission. And then in my own spaces, like when I was in my classroom and now in my office, I put the crucifix in a very visible, very central location so that my eyes can fix on the Lord on a regular basis, just to remember that what I'm doing this for and that he is present here with me. And then just like some other little things that I think have been fun with my students, at least the middle school students that I work with, they love the Jesus swag. So I have all kinds of little giveaways in my office that I hand out to the kids, like stickers and magnets for their lockers, and then the little mini Jesuses I love to hide around the school. And actually, I was really excited to show you. I just ordered these, but I didn't know that they have little Terez little Terez's, like tiny saints, but they're like the little mini rubbery guys, and then this is our Lady of Guadalupe. Yeah, cool.
SPEAKER_00Don't tell us. Let us guess this one. Oh well.
SPEAKER_02But I'm so excited to have more mini figures. I bought little Saint Joseph's, but they didn't get here yet. I do a campus ministry club every month. I got some faith tattoos. That was a huge hit with my students. We had arm sleeves going on, which was really fun and probably against school protocol, but gotcha tape. Takes it off. So those are just some of the more like specific little things. What about you, Nikki? You asked the question, but I'd love to hear your answer as well.
SPEAKER_00As I was listening to your answers, I was just thinking whenever I'm bogged down in the classroom or something, it just doesn't feel right. I always take time, we we gather around our back carpet where I often meet with my kids and we just pray together. And I think that's the simplest way of remembering, okay, Jesus, this is yours, and inviting your kids into that, just recentering, or when things feel off, taking time to pray. Um, especially as the the year begins here, I think that's the best thing to do to set up a great year is welcoming your students into this life of prayer, whether they're comfortable or not. And I was thinking just simple petitions and giving them each an opportunity to bring what's on their mind. It helps take that fear away of speaking to God. And if we can't speak to him and and we're not listening to him, then how are we reminded that we're on mission? So just setting that base level of let's make sure we're talking to him every day together.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Love that. Well, I think that's a good start. We're gonna dive a little deeper into this in our next episode, uh, talking about some different dynamics of the actual mission itself. So we'll continue to keep this on the forefront of our mind as we get started for the school year this year. But Nikki, would you be up for closing us in a prayer?
SPEAKER_00Yes, of course. In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Amen.
SPEAKER_02Amen.
SPEAKER_00Come, Holy Spirit, be with us. Help quiet our hearts so that we remember that this is your mission first and foremost, and that our Catholic schools are are part of the mission, um, that we are on mission for you, that we are placed here, that you chose us to do this specific job this year, um, and that we might not be enough. In fact, we aren't enough, but you are, and that you make up for everything we see in ourselves that's lacking, and that you just have so much to give, and this life, this teaching is a gift, and our students are gifts. Help us just to see that every day, Lord, and help us to come back to you in every moment and recenter ourselves, knowing that you're here with us and you love us so much, and we thank you, Lord. Amen. Amen.
SPEAKER_02In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode. If you enjoyed it, would you share it with a friend or two and leave us a review? We also invite you to follow the Heart and School Instagram page for more encouragement and practical tips for your Catholic educator journey. We are praying for you and your schools. See you next week.