Teachers talk about how, and why, they teach
By Mary Beth Peabody
Just about everyone can recall that one (or more) teacher who had a way of bringing out the best in students, whose presence in the classroom yielded respect and kindness, whose passion for the subject made a learner out of every classmate. Conversations with some of South Jersey Catholic Schools teachers offer some insight about how they do it — from engaging with learners, to dealing with discipline, to helping students grow their faith and maintain strong values.
A conversation with Bob Dougherty
Guardian Angels Regional School, Gibbstown and Paulsboro, Middle School
Bob Dougherty began his career as a Catholic school teacher. A township administrator for 29 years, he retired and returned to teaching, briefly as a substitute in public school and then as a full time teacher at Guardian Angels’ Regional Catholic School in Gibbstown and Paulsboro. Dougherty found a home in Guardian Angels middle school, where he is entering his 12th year.
With primary responsibility for sixth grade, Dougherty also teaches social studies to fifth through eighth graders. He said it was the faith aspect that led him to Catholic school, where he loves helping students grow in faith and increase their knowledge. “We’re helping them become citizens of the world,” he said.
Dougherty said his favorite part about teaching is when he sees a student’s “imaginary lightbulb” go on. He spoke of the joy he feels when a former student comes back and says, “[Your class] was so hard, but now I’m in AP History.”
He doesn’t downplay the challenging aspects of the middle school years. “The biggest challenge is trying to balance what children see with the teaching of our church. We are captives of the media generation,” said Dougherty, who has followed up with fatigued or distracted students and learned they are up late texting or playing video games.
Dougherty said if he sees a student struggling he will try to uncover underlying issues and think of ways to “find a path,” without drawing attention to the student’s particular challenge. As an example, he said if a student in his class needs test questions to be read aloud, he will review the test with the whole class instead of singling that student out.
If bullying is suspected, he will try to work with the student whose behavior might be hurting others. “Sometimes students don’t realize what they’re doing,” he said, adding that these are opportunities to tie a situation to faith and to remind students their behavior “affects all of us. We’re a family.”
Dougherty said he feels supported by the school community, where Catholic identity is found in the Franciscan tradition. “Everything is based in love,” he said, noting that sometimes love includes correction. “We work together to come up with a solution. Our job is to get [students] through this. … Parents appreciate the honesty. We’re straightforward with them,” he said.
Dougherty said parents value their children’s faith-based education, no matter where they are in their own faith journey. “We want students to have the faith background so they will make good decisions in life. We give them the support to be good citizens, good children. We base everything on faith and go from there,” he said.