Program for teachers is ‘a true gift’

Exposure to a new way of teaching has proven invaluable for Mary Cross, a pre-kindergarten teacher at All Saints Catholic School in Norman.

Cross is part of a cohort of teachers and staff from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa who are enrolled in the Catholic Educator Formation and Credential program. The 18-month program is administered by the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education.

“ICLE has given me the ability to teach to the whole child – mind, body and spirt,” Cross said. The program “encourages me to nurture not just the students’ cognitive skills, but also their moral, social and spiritual growth.”

Mary Thibodeau, who will teach Latin in the 2025-26 school year at Saint Philip Neri Catholic School in Midwest City, said “wholeness” has been one of the major takeaways from the program.

“It is the wholeness that leads to holiness,” Thibodeau said. “We don’t teach math or English or PE. We don’t teach first-graders or middle schoolers. What we teach are students. We teach students who may come to us as early as 3 years old but will someday be adults. We are teaching the whole person, not just one subject for the day.”

A goal of the coursework is to help teachers move from a secular view of education to one deeply committed to Catholicism. The program also provides tools to help teachers improve lesson planning and time management.

“ICLE has shown me a world rich in art, music, literature and beauty that I can now share with my students,” said Margaret Acevedo, who teaches Spanish and religion at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School in Tulsa. “I feel confident taking on my new role as a second-grade teacher thanks to ICLE and am looking forward to sharing my newfound knowledge with them.”

Emily Ginn, a first-year teacher at Saint Mary Catholic School in Ponca City, said the program provided a much-needed foundation and practical skills she could apply in her classroom. Among the fruits: a considerable increase in her fourth-grade students’ desire to read.

“I watched their reading stamina grow steadily through the year, knowing it was a direct result of what I learned through the ICLE program,” Ginn said.

“Through mentorship, real classroom feedback and shared experiences, I’ve become a more confident, capable teacher. This program is a true gift -- not just to me, but to every student I will ever teach.”

A third cohort is scheduled to begin in July. The program is paid for by gifts to the Annual Catholic Appeal and from benefactors in both dioceses. Donations to help fund the third cohort may be made at www.cfook.org/givecefc.

Owen Canfield is associate director of Catholic schools development at the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma.

Photo: Cohort members listened to a lesson during a recent seminar at the Catholic Pastoral Center. Photo provided.