How long have you been a teacher for Mother of Divine Grace?

As a homeschooling mom, I’ve been teaching since 1998, so, let’s see…that’s 22 years! But my youngest student is graduating this year, so I’ll be going into semi-retirement then. I say “semi-retirement” because my daughter Betsy has an 18-month-old whom I plan to teach many, many wonderful things.
I’ve been teaching LS classes since 2007, so I think that’s 13 years. (Isn’t it a good thing that I don’t teach math??)

Were you a teacher before you taught for MODG?

I got a teaching certificate from Ohio State University in English education, but I never really taught in a brick and mortar school. I did a tiny bit of substitute teaching, but I was married before I finished. I was anxious to start having babies. So, that’s what I did. ?

What school subjects do you teach?

This year I’m teaching grammar, Latin, and religion, and test prep. In previous years I’ve also taught middle school history.

What grades do you teach?

Mostly middle school through early high school. My Latin II and test prep classes have some 11th and 12th graders though.

Which is your favorite class to teach?

That’s easy—Cambridge Latin!

Why is this your favorite class to teach?

I love the Cambridge series. The stories are so engaging that it makes doing the work enjoyable for the students. And so many of them are laugh-out-loud funny! More importantly, Latin is one of the most excellent things we can learn in middle and high school. Latin helps us to think more quickly and analytically, just as algebra does. Some people say it’s better for learning English grammar than studying English grammar. It also helps us with reading comprehension because much of English comes from Latin roots. So, when you’re reading and you don’t know a word, if you can spot and recognize the Latin root, you can figure it out without having to look it up! Just this summer I read a book with the words pulchritudinous and impecunious in it. I’ve never seen those words before, but I didn’t have to consult a dictionary.

When teaching other children, do you use any of the same methods that you used when you taught your own children?

Well, no, because the mothers of my LS students wouldn’t like me to employ my wood spoon method on their children—just kidding!

But, it is different teaching a student with whom I’m sitting on the couch eating popcorn, doing grammar and teaching students in online classrooms without popcorn. However, I do find myself using the same explanations and examples in adobe that I used with my own kids. And, I think that the most important educational tool of fun has been incorporated into both settings.

But I do wish we could work out a way to share popcorn in our classes.

When your last child graduates, do you plan on continuing to teach for MODG?

Of course!

Why would you recommend to someone the job of being a Learning Support teacher for Mother of Divine Grace?

I’d recommend teaching for MODG to others for many reasons. It’s nice to work from home\; it allows me to still be with my own children and the materials we teach from are good, Catholic materials. But, the most important reason why I’d recommend it is because teaching for MODG is really important work.

Many, if not most, people today work in jobs that are good, but not necessarily tremendously fulfilling. Helping families to homeschool their children seems to me like some of the most important work in the world right now.

We homeschooling families who are raising and educating children to know and love God, truth, goodness, and beauty are very rare today. Like refugees in a foreign land, the culture that surrounds us doesn’t support our beliefs. In fact, the culture works against us.

We’re sort of like the remnant that Isaiah speaks of when St Paul quotes him in Romans 9, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved.” So, helping families to carry out this tremendous and most important work gives a sense of fulfillment like no other work.

There have been rumors circulating that Daniel Gorrell is your favorite student. Do you confirm or deny it?

That’s completely true, Dan, but don’t tell anyone else. ?