Mother of Divine Grace students can be either moderators for the MODG student forum, substitute teachers for Learning
Support classes, or both! MODG launched the internship program for high school
students in 2021. Since then, more and more students have become part of this program.
Moderators can be in grades 9-12 and substitute teachers can be in
grades 11-12. Several of these interns shared their experiences.
Moderators:
What made you choose to apply as a moderator?
Patrick B, Grade 12: After spending some time on the forum, I was really interested in becoming a moderator so that I could help the forum. Now that I’ve been able to do that, I’m
really glad I did.
Ava Clare J, Grade 12: For me, it was seeing the great work that past moderators did, and all
the things they did for our online community. I saw it as a chance to help my school’s online
community too.
Victoria V, Grade 10: I chose to become a moderator because it gave me an opportunity to help
people and just to volunteer.
Evelyn C, Grade 11: I chose to apply to be a moderator because I felt that I would be able to
better help the students from a moderator position than I would as a regular user.
How has being a moderator benefitted you?
Patrick B: I think being a member has given be a broad perspective on the student forum and the
different issues prevalent on it. Now that I’m a moderator, I’ve been given the chance to rectify
those issues. Being a moderator has benefitted greatly by allowing me to work alongside likeminded
peers.
Ava Clare J: Being a MODG intern is a very unique and special experience! Not only are we
gaining experience as moderators, but as people learning to work as a team and with others. This
is something that will be good to have as we go to college, further our education and our future
careers.
Victoria V: Well it has definitely humbled me and taught me patience. This experience also had
me connect with more students.
Evelyn C: I think being a mod has given me the opportunity to grow in patience,
professionalism and respect for others since a lot of moderating requires some…not so fun…
conversations haha
What is your favorite part of being a moderator?
Patrick B: To be honest, the conflict resolution. Sometimes it gets tedious, however, I like being
able to discuss with the other moderators and solve problems that plague the student forum.
Ava Clare J: My favorite part of being moderator is having the chance to work with the amazing
team of moderators we have. All the mods are great about dealing with anything that comes up,
and about working with others, which has made it a good experience. They are all great to work
with.
Victoria V: Answering questions is my favorite part because I enjoy helping people in that way.
Evelyn C: My favorite part about moderating is the ability to be able to help the users with
problems I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to solve.
What’s the hardest part?
Patrick B: Probably resolving specific conflicts. The issue is not everyone on the forum is going
to be happy with our job at any given time, which is disappointing, however, we still have to
ensure our job is done and the rules are being upheld. I think sometimes it’s hard to explain that
to the other users on the forum.
Ava Clare J: Well, I’m not sure it’s the hardest part, but planning out your day with
moderating. While moderating is a responsibility, it’s not your one priority or responsibility
either. You need to ensure all your classes, schoolwork, and other responsibilities are met, in
addition to moderating. It may be helpful to have a certain time(s) to check Discourse, so it
doesn’t end up as random and unplanned, or as a time waster.
Victoria V: I find resolving conflicts rather difficult because you cannot respond with your
emotions and it requires you to be patient. It has actually been quite humbling because I have
made plenty of mistakes responding to these conflicts and it shows how inexperienced I am.
Evelyn C: The hardest part of moderating I’d say is having to handle complaints that are more or
less out of my control.
Lastly, what advice would you give to future moderators?
Patrick B: Honesty and patience is key. If you’re patient with the users on the forum, it’ll go a
long way. On top of that, you need to be confident in yourself and exercise teamwork with other
moderators.
Ava Clare J: Similar to what I answered in the previous question, it does help to have a certain
time to check discourse and perform any moderating responsibilities. This is also a given, but
always use charity and kindness in all your posts and responses!
Victoria V: I would give a future moderator the advice of studying the rules a little just to be
familiar with them as well as learn to phrase your posts so that they sound charitable.
Evelyn C: Make sure you can devote a good amount of time to it. It does take a good bit of
effort, but if everyone does their part it goes super smooth! Also, never be afraid to ask for help if
you don’t understand or know how to do something! Everyone else is there to support you! And
of course, even if you’re upset at something make sure you handle it with grace and charity.
Substitute Teachers:
Substitute teachers are 11th and 12th graders, and interns substitute for grades lower than their own.
Courses include: elementary and middle school Latin, Math, Art and story hour, and a few Algebra I and HS Latin courses.
What made you choose to apply as a substitute teacher?
Patrick B, Grade 12: I originally wanted to apply just to be a moderator, however, I decided
also to apply to be a substitute teacher and I’m really happy I did.
Lucia V, Grade 11: I’ve always been interested in having some kind of teaching career, and
when I saw that MODG offered a substitute teaching internship for older students, I thought that
it would be a great opportunity to test the waters, so to speak.
Mariposa C, Grade 11: When I first saw the opportunity to do substitute teaching, I knew right
away that it was something I wanted to pursue! I initially was going to sign up to join the NHS,
but I wasn’t really sure if I would like it. I knew that I love helping people, especially children,
but I have never really been that social. Eventually I took too long to apply for the NHS and it
was too late. When I saw the substitute teaching internship a couple days later, I knew that God
was calling me to apply.
Evelyn C, Grade 11: As for becoming a substitute teacher, well, honestly I wasn’t going to
apply. However, a friend of mine was on the phone with me while we filled out our applications
together and convinced me so I ended up getting the position and I’m pretty grateful for his
persuasion shall we say-
How has being a substitute teacher benefitted you?
Patrick B: Being a sub has been wonderful. I’ve learned a lot on what goes into a teaching
career, especially one within Mother of Divine Grace, and how to conduct a classroom. It’s also
allowed me to develop some good habits, like flexibility when it comes to scheduling.
Lucia V: Being part of the substitute teaching internship has allowed me to see what teaching
various subjects at the elementary/middle school level would look like. It has also helped me to
become more confident in the subjects I’m teaching, since you need to know something well in
order to explain it to others!
Mariposa C: Being a member has benefited me in numerous ways! Two specific ways it has
helped me are by being exposed to teaching as possibly a future career, but also has given me a
chance to be in a community of other students my age.
Evelyn C: Being a sub has definitely helped me both grow academically (as I have to practically
re-learn all the material before I teach a class) as well as helped me grow in management and
communication!
What is your favorite part of being a substitute teacher?
Patrick B: Definitely subbing classes that I used to take. It’s so much fun to come back to old
subjects and teach what I know about them to younger students.
Lucia V: My favorite thing about subbing for LS classes is seeing when the students are able to
grasp a topic that I’ve just explained to them. Interacting with the students in general is such a
joy!
Mariposa C: My favorite part of being a substitute teacher is definitely getting to work with the
kids in the classes. They are amazing! I have only substituted for a couple classes so far, but it is
easy for me to say that getting to teach them is the best part. They have been so kind and don’t
cease to make me laugh!
Evelyn C: My favorite part about being a sub is getting to have fun with teaching a class and
help students work through problems together in a way that they can better understand the
material!!
What’s the hardest part?
Patrick B: I think it takes a lot of flexibility. When you’re asked if you can sub a class, you
usually have a week’s notice before the actual class. This doesn’t give you much time to get all
the materials you might need and to prepare for the class. Despite this, it’s really fun once the
class starts and you’re running it.
Lucia V: I would say that the hardest part about substitute teaching is the prep you have to do
ahead of time. More often than not, it’s really interesting. However it can also be a bit tedious at
times, especially when teaching high school.
Mariposa C: I would say the hardest part about the internship is preparing for the classes.
Although even this is not very hard, I tend to want to over prepare everything. Taking too much
time to prepare is something that is hard on me, but I’ve seen that for other students it is no
problem.
Evelyn C: The hardest part for me is making sure that I know the information inside and out
before I start to teach so I’m fully prepared for any questions that may come my way.
Lastly, what advice would you give to future substitute teachers?
Patrick B: Flexibility and being able to respond on a moment’s notice is really important. On
top of that, being engaging and yourself while substituting a class goes a long way. It makes you
entertaining to the student who, in turn, are more receptive and participate more.
Lucia V: Don’t take any of your subjects for granted! Really do your best to truly understand
what you’re learning at any given time. Believe me, it will save you a lot of trouble down the
road (and not just in the realm of sub teaching). Participating in class discussions will help build
your confidence and quick thinking skills when it comes to the speaking aspect of subbing. Also,
if you are able, take active leadership roles in your parish, homeschool group, or community,
especially roles that would require you to teach or mentor kids and other teens.
Mariposa C: I guess the advice I would give is, go for it and have fun! This internship has been
amazing and is definitely something that can give you many skills for the future. Every aspect
has been incredible, and has given me, an introvert, the confidence I needed to help my passion
to help others.
Evelyn C: Make sure you do your proper prep work. If you know what you’re teaching like the
back of your hand it’ll go really smooth! Similarly, don’t take a class that you’re unsure if you
can handle teaching… Balancing substitute teaching and moderating is definitely difficult.
Besides those two positions I also work, have to keep up with school, and fulfill all my other
prior commitments so it can be a lot. However, I make probably 6 different lists of things to get
done to keep everything organized and am able to plan out my day accordingly. Sometimes that
means saying no to subbing a class or two or asking another moderator to watch my topics for a
day so you can get everything done. The most important thing is that you can schedule and
manage your days well and aren’t afraid to ask for help when you need it! 🙂
