Cottos Corner for Education

Complicity and the Holocaust was something that I thought of prior to coming to Bearing Witness, but I never thought of the complexity of it until these past few days. What defines complicity? What are complicit actions? Why did some people become complicit during the Holocaust? Did they even know they were complicit?

Some Were Neighbors and our further discussion on the exhibit was intriguing. I know that I will take several techniques/methods back to my classroom so my students understand this idea in greater depth. As the phrase goes, a picture is worth a thousand words…pictures from the European Jewish communities during the Holocaust may say thousands of words! I can’t wait to partake in this activity with my students!

The time at the Embassy of Israel was something special. Hearing from the Counselor of Academic Affairs and listening to his description of modern Israel was great! Their innovative minds and technological creativity is inspiring!

Kenneth Jacobson’s telling of how Jews see Israel today was powerful. His knowledge and passion for this topic is unmatched. I was able to see how the relationships that the Jews have in the region are essential to their success. It was also interesting to hear how the US is significant to the development of the region.

Today was very overwhelming. It was heavy with a lot of information but full of knowledge that I will be taking back to my students and school community. The main idea that I will discuss is the idea of complicity. Students need to see how their actions can be seen as complicity during some actions they take against others.

Today was a lot to process. Tomorrow we learn how to apply more of this in class! See you at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops!

What makes a survivor? What makes a person able to say that they were able to successfully escape an event that places them in great danger? Today, I met a survivor!

Hilana Peabody was a young girl outside of Krakow, Poland. She heard stories of Jews being forced to clean sidewalks. She was subjected to the harsh realities of a culture that’s wanted to see her and the people of her community suffer. Yet, she was unaware of the reality around her because her mother protected her from seeing such abuses.

She told of a story of when 800 members of her community were sent away to go work. People waited to see their friends and relatives return…yet, not one returned on the train. It wasn’t until later that night when one person got off a train…he survived. He survived a mass killing of 800 people…the people of Hilana’s community.

Hilana’s mother was concerned for Hilana’s safety, so her mother sent her away to another town. She was shuffled around. They asked a priest to provide them papers so that they could be seen as Catholic. She was afraid that she was going to die. Her mother was confronted by a soldier and her mother begged and pleaded for him to let her and her children live. The soldier took what they had, but did let them go. She survived!

These are stories that we need to protect. These are stories that need to be heard. We can see pictures and read textbooks, but nothing is more powerful than the words of a person who was there when it happened…the words of a survivor!

But sadly, not all survived. Some were turned in by their neighbors. The community in which they lived abandoned them. The Jews of the community had nowhere to turn. Today, one image/artifact struck me. Today I saw bullets that were removed from a mass grave in Lithuania. These bullets took the lives of children, women, and men all because of what people thought they were.

Looking at the bullets was like looking at the mass grave. It was like looking at the community. It was like looking within yourself. What bullets do we use today to attack others? How do we stop these bullets? We care for each other. We accept differences with eagerness to learn more. We be the light for others. We love.

“Please, please, please work hard. You are in charge now. Make sure this world is good for my children’s grandchildren.”-Hilana Peabody

These were human beings. These were people who had families, worked, made their community’s life a better place. A mentality, no, a culture destroyed what they had because they corrupted the minds of others to believe that this segment of society was evil.

This was the 1930s. This is the reality that I faced today at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Now, I knew of this reality, let me phrase it better, this tragedy well before I visited the museum today. Today was different because I had a deeper background of the culture that perpetrated the acts. I understand where the methodologies of the Holocaust began. We need to know that our society laid a blue print for the Holocaust to happen.

This perspective is what I used to view the museum today. I needed to see the history as an extension of what we did. We cannot let this happen again! We have a responsibility to act.

I was moved by the names that are listed in a walkway. I saw my name, Adam, listed. I have no idea how many Adams were killed, but I do know that I cannot sit by and let another Adam be taken simply because someone claims that they are different.

Our Church has a responsibility to protect all persons. We need to learn what they knew so we can learn to prevent these atrocities from happening again!

We also live in a strong democracy. We live in a society where we are free. Today reminded me that we may not always be free. As was stated at the memorial, democracy is fragile. We feel that we have so much, but if we are not careful, it could all be taken away.

Today was a powerful day. Today I was able to see more about why the Holocaust happened. I was able to see what actions were missed that could’ve reduced the loss of life. Now, what can we do to make sure it doesn’t happen again? What does today hold for us? Let us be the witnesses and the light!

As we continue our journey through Bearing Witness, we dove deeper into anti-Semitism and then history of this concept. The Jewish history is a history of deep understanding of community, culture, and faith. I gained a better appreciation of the faith connections between my Catholic faith and the Jewish people. Yet, I also learned that the connection has not always been the most congenial.

When we were presented a 2500 year history of anti-Semitism in 1 hour and 30 minutes, we were provided insight into a way of life that I feel no group should ever face. People being chosen and blamed simply because of their race, culture, social status, profession, and religion was, and still is, an atrocity that too many were complicit in, and that includes faith groups!

Being able to see how the actions of the Holocaust stemmed from this history of anti-Semitism and was not anything new was eye opening. It was even more eye opening realizing that the actions were aided by the example set forth by the Inquisition! These were actions that Catholics performed. We need to ensure that these actions never happen again!

I know that I will take this new perspective into my classroom. I will be sure that I have my students realize that the actions of our faith need to be an example of positivity and relationship building between faiths! We cannot, and will not, tear down another faith!

I’ll be honest, tonight was my first night in a synagogue! Seeing the scrolls with the Books of Moses on them was special. The delicate nature that the rabbi used while handling the scrolls shows that there is such great care and respect for God’s Word! Also, meeting a rabbi from a Liberal Reformed Jewish community and a rabbi from a Modern Orthodox Jewish community was tremendous. As was said, this was something special and needs to be done more often. Having conversations between different groups within the faith is essential, just as conversations with other religious groups outside the faith are important!

Today was special! Today was challenging! Tomorrow will be a whole new experience! Tomorrow we visit the Holocaust Museum. Tomorrow will be….

This week I’m at the Bearing Witness Institute. I’ll be spending the week gathering new ideas, methods, and knowledge on the Holocaust, prejudice, and anti-Semitism. I’m honored to be a participant for this experience!

First of all, God has mysterious plans for us that we just need to trust are in our best interest! After an over 2 hour delay, I made it from Columbus, Ohio to Washington DC! It sure did take awhile, but it was worth it!

Seeing over 40 Catholic educators devoting a week of their break to furthering their commitment to students by enhancing their skills and knowledge is inspiring. I was even more inspired by learning that the Bearing Witness program extended from the relationship that was and still is shown between the Catholics and Jews of Cleveland! My city is a strong religious community!

We need to remember that if God asks us to do something that we cannot fail! This is because God gives us the grace to do His work! That is why I’m here! I’m here because God asked me to be here! I will not fail because He is guiding and giving me the grace!

Day 1 of Bearing Witness was about respect! We need to respect and understand our faiths before we understand the power of human relationships! Yet, we are not here to learn about history, we are here to learn about human beings.

Many people tend to think that teachers have the summer off. Little do they know that there is truly never really a break from teaching! Yes, it is true that we do not have to go into our schools and educate a classroom full of students each day, but that is not what education is truly all about! A teacher’s “break” is full of many different experiences that lead us to new ideas that we will share with other teachers or bring into our classrooms!

Each summer is loaded with opportunities for educators to expand their knowledge and grow into more effective learners in the classroom. There are many different conferences like the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the National Principal Conference (NPC), ASCD, NCEA conferences, BbWorld, and others, that all take place during the summer months that educators from around the country attend just to become better educators. They take their “break” and spend it focusing on the needs and best interests of the students. They would rather take their own time to grow in their profession than take time away from students during the school year to grow. Of course there are times when conferences need to be attended during the school year and teachers don’t always look for those because they know that they would rather be in the classroom with their students.

I will be attending an institute from July 16-21 in Washington D.C. that focuses on Anti-Semitism, Prejudice, and the Holocaust. This is a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge and bring back many ideas and resources that I will share with my colleagues. It is an opportunity for me to grow in empathy, compassion, and understanding of those that I teach and the subject that I teach. This will not be a break for me, but rather me expanding my passion for my profession and my students.

Attending conferences isn’t all that we do. Many teachers find themselves, as I write this on July 10, researching, planning, and already decorating their classrooms for the upcoming school year. I have already been to my classroom 5 times since school ended and I am ready to head back in to begin decorating. Sure it might seem kind of early, and it probably is, but that doesn’t mean I can’t think of my classroom and my students. When I walk through Target, there is no way that I am passing up the Dollar Spot! I need to check and see what wonderful items they have for educators to decorate their classrooms. I have already bought several items that I know students will enjoy!

Don’t get me wrong, teachers do enjoy taking family vacations and relaxing. It’s a natural human instinct. We like spending time with family and friends and taking in leisure activities. We need it as well as anyone who works. It is time that we also learn to develop and grow relationships with those around us that we love and care about. This time also helps us an educator to strengthen our patience and clear our minds so that we may open them to the questions of our students.

On paper educators get a few months off, but for educators there is very little to no time off. We constantly think of ways to best serve our students. We are learning, growing, and sharing knowledge that we are gaining. We are preparing for a new group of students to enter into the classroom. We are eager and ready to educate! We want the best for our students! will see you all back in the classroom! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Recess was always one of the best times of my school days while growing up. Sure, I may not have been the best athlete playing football. I may not have been the fastest while playing tag. I may not have always been the most social, but recess gave me the time to be social!

Recess is one of the greatest tools that schools and educators have to stimulate the mind, promote teamwork, and increase student engagement. Sadly, many schools have started the trend towards removing recess from the school day.

Recess has been found to help children develop cognitive skills because of the interactive and experiential learning it provides. Students are engaged in social activity that they get to control. Yes, there are restrictions on where they can go and what activities they can participate in (student safety is always first), but the activities they do participate in are student driven. Students lead the way.

Another benefit of recess is that it provides physical activity for students. Students need to be active, not just for their health but also for brain stimulation. Students will respond better to learning once their minds have been actively engaged…and that means movement. We cannot allow students to simply sit in rows and expect them to recite the information back if they are not physically engaged in the learning. Recess provides them with physical activity that makes their minds start to become more active.

During recess, students have the opportunity to socialize with other students that they may or may not typically socialize with during the school day. Students are free to choose who they get to talk with. Now, this does leave the issue of students feeling excluded and these situations need to be monitored. Schools cannot allow students to feel excluded or left out of activities, but schools also need to be sure that students have their personal time. Schools cannot simply assume that a student sitting alone is being excluded, but rather they may want to have their own time to reflect or simply recharge. We need to let the students do what they know is best for them.

Recess safety is also critical. Since students are free to engage in activities of their own choosing, we need to ensure that guidelines are well set and students are aware of their actions on the playground.Even though recess time is time for students to socialize and engage in creative activities, it is not a time for unsupervised behavior. The recess monitors need to be open to student growth and engagement in behaviors that may seem more risky than usual. Now, we cannot allow students to participate in actions that are carefree or endangering to themselves or others, but we can allow them to act in ways that show curiosity and a growth mindset.

With regards to indoor recess, the same rules apply. We need to provide activities that engage students in movement or thinking during recess. We need students to be active. Students can play games or follow guided dance routines through the projector. Indoor recess should not be sit and read sessions, unless the student feels that is best for them.

Recess is essential and necessary for students to grow academically. We need to keep it and embrace it. Academic achievement is greater when recess is around. Taking 20-25 minutes away from students to add in a few more minutes of lessons, takes 20-25 minutes away from a student exploring and being creative on their own. Let recess be recess…and let the kids play!

Today (4/20/17) was the last day of NCEA 2017. Today I started with a session on “Principal as a Missionary Leader.” As an educator and leader in a Catholic school, providing students and the school community with missionary opportunities is a must. We are called to teach students to be missionaries for all and we are to send students out to serve all. I found one statement as profound during this session. The statement was this, “We are all missionaries since we are all baptized.” Being a missionary is a part of our faith. We all need to serve out our calling to be missionaries, and it is the responsibility of the leaders of Catholic education to model how to be a missionary. This session will motivate me to go back to school and be ready to show my students how to serve and to serve with me.

Session 2 for today was “Irresistible Catholic Schools”. Yes, Catholic schools can and should be irresistible. This presentation was a wonderful session to close out my small session portion of NCEA17. Bringing Catholic schools back to Catholicity was so powerful. We need the Catholic aspect of schools to be the main point of Catholic schools. We should not be a school that has religion classes, but rather a religious school that has subjects added to the school. We can only get to this point by developing relationships that are based on religion. When a visitor, parent, or stakeholder enters into the school, that person should immediately recognize that the school is Catholic. The community of the school needs to show clearly that it is Catholic. This is something that I know I will take back to school!

The closing Mass was great! The Liturgical committee of NCEA17 needs to be applauded! They truly did a remarkable job over the past 3 days. As we wrapped up NCEA17, the transition to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the host of NCEA18, was started. The Planning Committee for NCEA18 has a lot to do to outdo the Archdiocese of St. Louis!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of NCEA17. The Social Media Influencer Contest that provided me the chance to attend this event in St. Louis is something that I will carry with me as a Catholic educator. The stories of Catholic education need to be told. We need to tell our successes. We need to tell our experiences and share our faith. NCEA17 motivated me to continue to share my stories and to continue to strengthen my career as a Catholic educator.

Thank you to the entire staff of NCEA that supported me and treated me so well throughout my days in St. Louis. Thank you to all my colleagues that worked with me and shared their stories for me to tell to the world. I am excited to go back to work and continue to share my passion for Catholic education and the Catholic faith!

Now let’s get back to work to share our faith through Catholic education!

“C” you in Cincinnati for NCEA18!

Today (4/19/17) began with Mass led by Bishop Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown! He had one of the finest homilies that I have ever heard. It connected very deeply with me for several reasons, and I am glad that I was able to hear it! The music was by the Archdiocese of St. Louis High School chorus and they were fantastic. These masses have been amazing!

My first session was on “Shared Leadership.” In education, there is no way that we are able to go into this field on our own. We need to know when to stop and let those around us to take a position of leadership. We need to trust those who work with us to share their gifts and talents and make the burden on us lighter. Reflect on the why, how, when, who, where, and what! We each have special skills that make the Catholic education system remain strong and we need to utilize all those skills to their fullest potential possible!

During the second session time, I was helping setup for a Lunch and Learn on EdCamps. EdCamps are one of my favorite professional development functions to attend. The Lunch and Learn brought in 120 educators to learn this developing kind of professional development. It was a great opportunity for me to support NCEA and their movement to evolve the EdCamp model into Catholic education.

I then attended a session on how to market a school better and what are some areas to look at to increase enrollment and improve retention of the current students. I know that I found several techniques that I am excited to bring back to my school and share with our committees to help strengthen our school. It is important to improve alumni relations, have a strong social media presence, build community relationships, and look from within to see where gifts and talents are not being fully utilized.

The final session of the day was “Teaching to the Gender Differences.” This session was very good and I know will make me a better educator. Boys and girls learn and develop differently, which means we need to treat them differently. We need to create educational techniques that allow students to create, be hands on, and experience the learning. We can’t teach boys and girls the same way. We need to understand how students develop. This session made me want to do so much to help all my students.

I ended the day with a TweetUp event. As you know, social media has been a huge part of my educational experience. I have found great passion in sharing the stories of my school with educators from around the country and world. This evening allowed me to connect in person with many of these educators that I have gotten to know. Now, I was kind of a celebrity at this TweetUp. People were excited to meet the Social Media Influencer contest winner. While it felt good to be treated this way, it was even more exciting that people are paying attention to the wonderful stories that I am sharing about my school community. Thank you to all of my Tweeps that have supported me throughout my social media experience.

There is one more day of NCEA17! There is one more day of sharing, growing, and learning. I am proud to say that my passion for Catholic education has grown even more during these past 2 days! I know tomorrow will make it grow even more!

Today (4/18/17) was Day One of the National Catholic Educational Association Convention and Expo. This was my first experience attending a national convention, so I was a bit overwhelmed hearing that there would be over 8,000 attendees here in St. Louis for this convention. As I reflected upon the idea that there would be over 8,000 people attending a convention that centers on Catholic education, I began to feel more comfortable. There was comfort realizing that there are so many people giving their time to further their passion…their passion for Catholic education.

The day started with an amazing Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The music, which was provided by the elementary chorus of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, was great. The young students did a fantastic job. The setting for the Mass was beautiful. Just a wonderful start to the day!

Following Mass, I attended the session on “Beyond the Canned Food Drive.” This session allowed me to see new ideas of how to get my students actively involved in service in the community, both school and local. One great thing about this session was giving me the realization that my school already does many of the activities that the presenters were providing. I gained several new ideas, but I also felt positive after knowing that my school is already doing great things.

My second session was “Best Practices to Connect and Engage Your Faculty.” The speaker was tremendous. He had so much energy and motivation that it was inspiring. Even though I am still just a teacher, I know I found several things that I can do to engage my colleagues, but I also found many ideas that I want to share with my principal to engage our staff even more! I know that this session is one that will stick with me for the future!

The keynote address was beyond amazing. Jonathan Doyle gave one of the most inspiring speeches on Catholic education that I have ever heard. We do not choose to be Catholic educators, but rather we were chosen to be Catholic educators. His words and passion for Catholic education and Catholicism overall made me want to continue my career in Catholic education. Mr. Doyle’s words will stick with me. His willingness to show us that our vocation is greater than us was awesome. I can’t wait to get back and share what I gained from his presentation with my colleagues.

Day One of NCEA17 was great. Tomorrow is a busy day, but I know it will be just as motivating! St. Louis has been a great host city! Can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds for me!