Education in Mission Workshops Begin for Local Catholic Educators

To serve the current needs of Catholic educators, Aquinas College is launching a new monthly webinar series in partnership with the Diocese of Nashville Catholic Schools Office. The topics for the monthly series were gleaned from recommendations of local Catholic school principals, teachers, and Nashville diocese Superintendent of Schools Rebecca Hammel.

“Last year, Aquinas College surveyed Catholic school principals and teachers in the diocese to discover the best way to serve the local Catholic schools. The Education in Mission Series was created as a result of our survey and conversations with the diocesan Catholic Schools Office,” explained Sister Mary Grace Watson, O.P., dean of the School of Education. “We hope the series will provide practical information to equip and inspire Catholic educators to meet the challenges of our day,” she said. “Originally, the series was designed to be in person, but due to the limitations of COVID-19, we’ve moved to a webinar format, which may in fact be a blessing, as it allows us to expand the reach of these workshops to educators across the country and even to the world.”

Assistant Professor of Psychology Sister Elena Marie Piteo, O.P., Ph.D. will present the first webinar September 28, “Cultivating Hope and Trust: Overcoming Depression and Anxiety in the Classroom.” Later topics in the series include behavior management techniques and differentiated instruction, among others. A full listing of webinar topics is at the event webpage. 

Speakers for the Education in Mission Workshop Series include instructors from the Aquinas College School of Education, the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Nashville, and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. Superintendent Rebecca Hammel and Kathy Boles, director of exceptional learners for the diocese, are among the speakers later in the series. Sister John Mary Fleming, director of education for the Congregation of St. Cecilia, will present the final webinar in April.

All participants will receive a certificate of attendance from Aquinas College. There is a fee of $10 at the time of online registration for each webinar. Information and a registration link for the workshops can be found at www.aquinascollege.edu/calendar or by contacting Linda Moore at 615-297-7545 x422.

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