racheljohnson

Marian students are accustomed to investing hours upon hours of their time in homework and studying. As the work piles up, it is easy to look forward to the day when homework, papers, and tests are no longer daunting aspects of their lives. However, it rarely occurs to students that the very people that give them these assignments might have a heavy homework load themselves.

Several Marian teachers have been working to further their education and earn an additional degree. On top of teaching full time, they take classes to better themselves as educators. Science teacher Mrs. Julia Pick and Spanish teacher Mr. Andrew Bauer are both working towards earning a Master of Science in Educational Leadership through Creighton University. Both Pick and Bauer earned scholarships from the Archdiocese of Omaha that will pay for the classes, provided that they teach at Catholic schools for five more years.

Earning a second master’s degree is beneficial because it allows teachers to continue learning and improving. It also opens up new oppor- tunities for the future. With an Educational Leader- ship degree, Pick and Bauer will have the qualifica- tions needed to do administrative work, curriculum directing, and much more.

As the course continues to unfold, both teachers have noticed positive changes in the way they teach. “You need to know and establish what effective teaching looks like. I feel that I’ve reflected that more as a teacher. Even though it’s not related to Spanish, there are things I do differently now that I’ve gone through this process,” Bauer said.

Spanish teacher and librari- an assistant Mrs. Molly Raabe ’89 is also involved in a highly sought-after program to further her education. Raabe is earning an Endorsement in Library Sciences, a national program through the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Members of this program come from all over the United States, as well as from Dubai. Raabe will earn the qualifications needed to eventually become Marian’s librarian when current librarian, Mrs. Donna Broekemeier, retires. Raabe has been working alongside Broekemeier this school year, learning the ins and outs of the library.

“Mrs. Broekemeier is a fantastic librarian, and it has been an honor being able to mentor with her. Students should use her as a resource, because she is a wealth of knowledge,” Raabe said. Raabe has also noticed improvements in her teaching methods, especially in terms of technology. She finds herself using more tools in the classroom, as well as introducing girls to online cataloging systems and emphasizing the importance of source citations. Though Raabe’s endorsement does not involve Spanish, what she has learned has proven to be beneficial to her Spanish students.

Raabe and Bauer are not the only foreign lan- guage teachers involved in programs to further their education. Spanish teacher Mrs. Cassie Craig is participating in a 36-credit-hour course called The Master’s of Arts in Language Teaching Program (MALT) through UNO. “I always knew I wanted to get my master’s degree, and the MALT program is particularly beneficial, because it consists of both Spanish classes and classes on how to teach language effectively,” Craig said. She feels that she has made adjustments in the classroom by monitoring student progress and employ- ing new reading strategies.

Science teacher Mrs. Sharon Genoways is also in the process of boosting her credentials. Genoways is earning a doctorate degree through UNO in the Department of Educational Leadership under the umbrella of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The construction of Marian’s STEM lab is what sparked Genoways’s interest in pursuing a doctoral degree. She knew that being involved in such a

program would help her make connections and develop relationships that could open up new opportunities for her students. There is a hole in the STEM field that Genoways feels Marian girls are capable of filling. More opportunities and exposure could help make it possible for them to do so.

There is no question that continuing to take classes to further their education has been valuable to these teachers.

“Teachers always have the desire to keep learn- ing,” Raabe said. Knowledge of different teaching methods and exposure to new technology benefits their students and improves their quality of education.

“We are trying to encourage you girls to become lifelong learners,” Genoways said.

Seeing teachers pursue higher education shows Marian girls the value of learning and how it does not have to end with high school or college.