Being a Catholic Teacher in a Public School

This is what I want to do.

Why you ask? Why wouldn't I want to teach in a Catholic school, I mean lets be honest you went to a very Catholic college...so why not be a Catholic school teacher?

It is simple...they don't need me.

I mean yes they need teachers...but the students in public schools need me in a different kind of way.

It is hard, indeed, to be a Catholic teacher in a public school. Don't get me wrong. All of my actual teaching experiences so far have been in public schools.

You cannot teach your faith, you cannot speak up about certain things that you believe to be wrong and society believes to be right. And what happens during that moment when one of your little ones does start talking about the faith?

It is DIFFICULT...but it can be so rewarding.

Public schools...they have a lot of poor kids right? Depends on where you live...but the schools I want to teach in do indeed have plenty of examples of poverty.

A student over here doesn't have a bed; not even a mattress. This one isn't eating properly because mom can't afford it. This one's water has been turned off...and this one's electricity. These students are on the adopt a family list and if no one steps up it will be a disappointing Christmas morning for them.

Heartbreak...sadness...all you want to do is adopt every single one of them right? but you can't....but you can have hope...

How? How can there be hope with such sadness?

Because, with God all things are possible.

Because with God there is hope...even if I cannot directly help those students after they leave my classroom, I can pray for them. I can ask God to watch over them. I can pray that someone is put in their path that CAN help them financially, even though I cannot.

I cannot tell them I am praying for them, they may never find out, because we are in a public school, but I will pray for them. Students in a Catholic school...the way I see it, they're covered...they are in the good hands of their teachers already...Students in a public school though, they are the ones I want to help.