“The workshops aim to make clear our mission and share how we live that in the day-to-day to our new teachers while engaging them in the same conversations of the true, the good, and the beautiful that the girls have within the context of their vocation as a teacher,” Middle School Director Laurie Duncan said. 

The Teacher Institute seeks to bring the essential pieces of an Oakcrest education to the faculty and staff: Christian Anthropology, the Philosophy of Education as an Opus Dei-inspired, Catholic school, the Oakcrest mission, and an all-girls education. Associate Head of School Cynthia Bertolini said that the program’s initial vision was to be a “formation opportunity for teachers at Oakcrest, but also for teachers outside of Oakcrest to get a sense of what we do here as teachers, taking part of the Oakcrest mission and teaching philosophy out into the new world.” 

“Moving forward, we hope to explore how to take what we’ve delivered and figure out a best practice to share some of the hallmark presentations that could be adapted to a group of teachers and educators who are not currently at Oakcrest,” Mrs. Bertolini added. 

Throughout the week the various workshops included talks from Theology teacher Ms. Holly Salls on an “Introduction to Christian Anthropology” and the “Philosophy of Education” as well as “Living the Curriculum” with Science Teacher Dr. Kat Hussmann and Latin Teacher Ms. Paula Rondon. Each session demonstrated proper teaching pedagogy with workshops delivered as lectures or in seminar style, even some with breakout groups, just as students may have in the classroom. 

“It was amazing to see the collaboration between our peers, which set the tone for the quality of teaching that we all aspire to have,” Ms. Duncan said, adding that while some sessions were more theoretical, others provided great practical tools and tips for teaching. 

After one week of the Oakcrest Teacher Institute for the new faculty, they were joined by the returning faculty and staff for another week with additional sessions including “Nature and Vocation of Women” with Theology Teacher Mrs. Mary Warren and “The Joy of Teaching: Teaching Virtue and Truth” with Science Teacher Mrs. Christina Friddle and Middle School Director Ms. Laurie Duncan. 

“We realized early on as a team that the strength of Oakcrest is the people who work here, that build up the program that we are able to deliver and so it was very important that we have a lot of different faculty members contributing to and delivering the sessions,” Mrs. Bertolini said. 

The Oakcrest Teacher Institute will continue to inform our faculty and staff during the various workshop days throughout the school year, with hopes of building a workshop within the next few years that will bring together educators outside of Oakcrest to experience firsthand what sets Oakcrest apart.