Bridgette Geraghty Recognized for Outstanding Teaching

Ten local Catholic schoolteachers have been recognized for outstanding achievement with the 2012 Cardinal Raymond L. Burke Teacher Recognition Award.

After teaching in a classroom for 13 years, Bridgette Geraghty is one of the recipients. She has taught at St. Justin for 8 years, and after all this time, she still is drawn to the creative minds of children.

“I just have always been drawn to (teaching) children. I love the innocence, the imagination and the creativity. I love the feeling of when I tell them something they’ve never heard before,” Geraghty said.

The school principal nominated Geraghty, who teaches first grade, which was a requirement. After being nominated, she had to put together a portfolio describing her methods and techniques considered best practices in education.

The awards, sponsored by the Catholic Education Center, were presented in a ceremony at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. On hand were Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, archdiocesan superintendent of Catholic education George Henry and other archdiocesan Catholic education leaders. Teachers received a certificate and $500 award.

To be eligible for the Cardinal Burke Award, a teacher must currently be employed full time in a parish elementary or secondary school, or in special education, or an archdiocesan high school; have taught a minimum of three years in a Catholic school.

“I try to design my lesson to reach every child no matter what their ability level,” she said. “I try to use hands-on activities and more traditional styles to reach every child in the classroom. I try to keep a familiar structure for the kids every day so that they are confident in what they do.”

Geraghy said that since children know what to expect, a comfortable learning environment is created. She tries to let the students know what goals and expectations are so they know where to go with a project or assignment so they aren’t doing things “off the cuff.”

“I often sing instructions to help aid in transitions,” she said. “The fear of the unknown is hard for them.”

Some of the biggest challenges Geraghty sees in teaching include helping each child live up to his or her potential and fitting everything into a day.

“I try to use every moment as a teachable time. It definitely takes a lot more planning to do differentiated instruction,” she said. 

However, the biggest reward is seeing the kids walk down the hallway in the morning with a smile on their face. 

“Then I say, ‘OK, this is all completely worth it,’” she said. “I love going somewhere and they are happy to see me. That they love school is the biggest thing.”

The other nine award winners were:

• Mary Block, second-grade teacher, St. Gabriel the Archangel School in St. Louis Hills, member of Sacred Heart Parish in Valley Park

• Richard A. Buschard Jr., kindergarten-through-eighth-grade music teacher, St. Patrick School in Wentzville, member of Holy Trinity Parish in St. Ann

• Joe Haug, ninth-through-12th-grade math teacher, St. Dominic High School in O'Fallon, member of St. Peter Parish in St. Charles

• Vicki Houghton, seventh-and-eighth-grade teacher, Annunziata School (Department of Special Education) in Ladue, member of West Hills Community Church

• Jean Kaimann, fourth-grade teacher, Sacred Heart School in Eureka, member of Sacred Heart Parish in Troy

• Michelle Ming, first-grade teacher, St. Francis Borgia School in Washington, member of St. Francis Borgia Parish

• Judy Sturm, kindergarten teacher, St. Clare of Assisi School in Ellisville, member of Christ Prince of Peace Parish in Manchester

• Cheryl Thomas, sixth-through-eighth-grade religion/science teacher, St. Ann School in Normandy, member of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in south St. Louis

• Donna Zeidler, ninth-through-12th-grade religion teacher, Rosati-Kain High School in the Central West End, member of Sacred Heart Parish in Florissant