Kory, Breandan, Marek, Eric, Joe, and Sam
LTIP Cohort 6: Marek Blezinski (Lewis and St. Pat’s HS), Eric Doyle (SMU),Kory McDonald (SMU), Joe Miley (SMU and Cretin-Derham Hall), Breandan Rook (Lewis and De La Salle Institute), and Sam Vetch (SMU).
On Sunday May 12 three other students from Saint Mary’s University and I left for Chicago to join up with two students from Lewis University for a summer program called the Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program (LTIP). Throughout the course of the week we have done many things from learning to cook to meeting the administrators, teachers, and students we’ll be working with at De La Salle Middle School in North St. Louis. However, the three that impacted me the most would be general course work (46 hours this past week), meeting the De La Salle students, learning the history of the Brothers and the Lasallian movement, and learning to cook from the Brothers.
LTIPers with culinary expert, Bro. Frank Carr
Because we will be spending a lot of time in classrooms and working one-on-one with students we had to learn about the history of the classroom very early on. As Brother Pat said “I have to really front load some of the coursework this first week because we will be spending so much time in classrooms later on.” We have learned about the history of segregation in the classroom along with issues of sexual harassment and abuse and how to appropriately handle them. At the end of most days Brother Larry and Brother Frank taught us about the history of the Christian Brothers and how to cook and live in community, both of which we can apply to the rest of our lives. Over all it has been a very fun and eventful week filled with a lot of learning.
With Principal Phil Pusateri at De La Salle at St. Matthew’s in St. Louis
My personal highlight of the week would have to have been when we first met the students where we will be doing our field experience/clinicals. They were super excited to see us and introduce themselves. During their break before lunch they wanted us to start playing basketball with them. Before long most of us on LTIP were in an awesome game of 5 on probably 10, but I think we still might have won. It was just amazing to see how excited these students were to just be around us, and for me, to think about how we will be working with them for the next three weeks. I can’t wait to start working with the students this week where, hopefully, I will learn as much about how to teach and handle a classroom as they will when I work with them in reading.
Eric Doyle, SMU
Founders Day Prayer Service with Glencoe and St. Peter Claver communities
At Cardinals game
LTIPers with one of their presenters
Thanks, Eric! It was great being with you guys last week. BL
It was great spending Founder’s Day with you all. I am so very excited to have you all at DLSMS these next few weeks! The students have not stopped talking about you all. Hope the camping trip was fun!!!
Good to see “D” institute represented on LTIP again! Good luck Breandan and the rest of you young Lasallians
I am impressed with everything these young men are doing so far. Thank you for the photos, letter and updates. This is a first class program. Keep up the great work.
Anytime you can write, “both of which we will be able to apply to the rest of our lives ….” you know that some profound learning has taken place. Congratulations to student and teacher alike. Who doesn’t like “to make a difference,” or “touch hearts and change lives,” in the words of the Founder?