101 Essential Resources for Catholic Educators

CRS Rice Bowls

2012 Catholic Schools Week Logo

Happy Catholic Schools Week! To celebrate, I’ve put together a list of 101 resources that no Catholic educator should be without. From Twitter users to bloggers, from social networks to teaching tools, it’s all here in one convenient spot. Share the love, spread the news, and tell the world about Catholic Schools!

Catholic School Organizations and Resources:

  1. The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)
  2. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice
  3. Today’s Catholic Teacher
  4. Catholic Education Resources Wiki
  5. Resources for Catholic Educators
  6. Edocere.org
  7. CSK12 – Catholic Schools Virtual
  8. Catholic Coalition for Special Education

Social Networks and Catholic School Connections:

  1. The Catholic School Chronicle List of Blogs by Catholic Teachers, Principals, and Catechists
  2. ACE Advocates
  3. I Love Catholic Schools – Facebook
  4. Teaching Catholic Kids from OSV – Facebook
  5. NCEA Social Media Mashup
  6. Digital Catechesis Global Network on Ning
  7. Catholic School Connect
Catechetical Resources:

Catholic News, Podcasts, and Multimedia:

  1. Catholic News Service
  2. Catechetical Leader Podcast
  3. Sunday Sunday Sunday from Lifeteen
  4. Catholic Movie Reviews from Lifteen
  5. Catholic Newsbreak from CatholicTV
  6. Redemptorist Television
  7. Whispers in the Loggia
Prayer Resources:

Members of the University Consortium for Catholic Education:

  1. The Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) at University of Notre Dame
  2. The Alliance for Catholic Education at St. John’s University
  3. Magis Catholic Teacher Corps at Creighton University
  4. The Educational Partners in Catholic Schools (EPICS) Program at Seton Hall University
  5. The Gulf Region Academy for Catholic Educators (GRACE) at University of St. Thomas
  6. The Lalanne Program at University of Dayton
  7. The Lasallian Association of New Catholic Educators (LANCE) Program at Christian Brothers University
  8. The Lutheran Education Alliance with Parochial Schools (LEAPS) Program at Valparaiso University
  9. The Loyola University Chicago Opportunities in Catholic Education (LU-CHOICE) Program
  10. operation TEACH from Notre Dame of Maryland University
  11. The Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education (PACE) at the University of Portland
  12. The Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers (PACT) Program at Providence College
  13. Partners in Los Angeles Catholic Education (PLACE) Program at Loyola Marymount University
  14. Remick Fellowship at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
  15. Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC) at Boston College

A Sample of Some of the Best Blogs in Catholic Education: (click here for a comprehensive list)

  1. Barb in Nebraska on Posterous
  2. Catholic Educator
  3. Catholic Teacher Musings
  4. Notes from McTeach
  5. Soul of a Nation
  6. Work with Hope

A Small Selection of Catholic Educators, Organizations, and Catechists on Twitter:

Catholic School Resources from the Magisterium:

  1. Congregation for Catholic Education
  2. United States Council of Catholic Bishops Office of Education

Documents from the Congregation for Catholic Education and the USCCB:

How to Support Catholic Education

This Is the DayWelcome CatholicTV viewers who may be visiting for the first time after seeing Catholic School Chronicle featured on This Is the Day.

Catholic schools are a great blessing for the Church and they need our support today more than ever. Catholic schools give witness to the presence of Christ in the world by their very existence; they embody the unity that exists between intellect and spirituality; and they proclaim the good news of salvation to all. There are many ways to support Catholic education.

First and foremost, if your children are not currently attending Catholic schools, please visit your local Catholic school and find out how a Catholic education can make a positive difference in their lives. Before you visit, you might enjoy 101 Reasons to Send Your Child to a Catholic School. If you’re concerned about the cost of Catholic education in difficult economic times, you might want to read Top 5 Reasons to Send Your Child to a Catholic School Now.

If you’ve already experienced the benefits of a Catholic education, consider the following ways you can support the ongoing mission of Catholic schools:

  • Join Notre Dame’s ACE Advocates for Catholic Schools, a national movement to unite advocates of Catholic schools. It’s free, and your membership will connect you with others who care deeply about strengthening Catholic education.
  • Volunteer at your local Catholic school.
  • Sponsor a student financially so that everyone who wishes can have access to Catholic education.
  • Keep updated on Catholic school news and resources by subscribing to Catholic School Chronicle. New articles can be emailed to you automatically (no spam–we promise!) by filling out the email form on the right hand side of the web site; Catholic School Chronicle can also be added to your favorite RSS reader by clicking on the orange radio button in the right sidebar.
  • Show how much you love Catholic schools by visiting the Catholic School Chronicle Facebook page and click the “Like” button.
  • Keep track of Catholic school news through the Catholic School Chronicle Twitter feed.
  • Show appreciation to a Catholic school teacher by purchasing a gift for them at the Catholic Teacher Book and Gift Store.
  • Visit other blogs by Catholic teachers and catechists and encourage them in their vocation.

If you’re a Catholic school teacher or administrator, thanks for your commitment to spreading the gospel. Let me know if you have a blog or website–I’d love to add it to the list.

May God continue to bless the work of Catholic educators.

Advent as a Time of Perseverance for Teachers and Students

WinterAs always, the latest issue of iCatholic magazine has some excellent articles. I especially liked Bishop Trautman’s article on Advent, featuring this gem for Catholic educators:

“Advent is the beginning of a new liturgical year, so it is full of joyful expectation….Advent tells a student to go back to the books and try again. Advent tells teachers, try once more to reach that student.”

By the middle of November, both students and teachers need to hear a message of perseverance–at least this teacher does. Fortunately, I’ve been hearing it a lot lately. Yesterday’s gospel reading ended with these powerful words from Jesus:

“You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

In the midst of our daily struggles and sufferings, we are called to persevere, keeping hope alive. As the days darken and the cold creeps in, it’s comforting to know that Advent is just around the corner.