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Nuns picked for top listing - Teaching excellence earns recognition October 27, 2000 |
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When asked to name the teacher who had the
most influence on their lives, three top students from Oklahoma named
nuns who taught them as elementary students at Villa Teresa School. The result is that Sister Veronica Higgins and Sister Mary Mark McGuire are being recognized for their teaching excellence and will be listed in the sixth edition of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers 2000." Todd Carel, Villa Teresa's principal, said the listing is an honor reserved for teachers selected by one or more of their former students, who themselves have been distinguished by being included in either "Who's Who Among American High School Students" or the "National Dean's List." "It's an honor for Sister Veronica and Sister Mary Mark to be recognized as excellent teachers, but this is even more special because they were nominated by former students," Carel said Wednesday. Carel said a small classroom party will be held in the two nuns' honor at 9 a.m. today at Villa Teresa School, 1216 Classen Drive. Parents of the two nuns' students have been invited to attend the gathering, and the students will present flowers to each sister, Carel added. Seated on elementary-sized chairs and with a sign saying, "A good book is a good friend" behind them, the two Carmelite nuns talked about their recent honor and the pleasure they continue to derive from teaching during a recent interview in the school library. "It amazes me that we're now teaching the third generation of children in some families. It's like we're becoming a tradition," said McGuire, who teaches second grade. "I love the kids and the idea that we're having an influence on their future," added Higgins, who teaches third grade and Spanish classes. Higgins was nominated for the Who's Who listing by Patrick Rodriguez, a college freshman, and Cory Tindall, a senior in high school. Higgins said she taught each of them in fourth grade at Villa Teresa. McGuire was nominated by Casey Harness, a Yale University student. "That was quite a surprise for him to nominate me. I taught him in first grade, and now he's a law student at Yale," McGuire said. "I was very shocked. I thought, 'My goodness, that's quite an honor that he remembered me all this time,'" the nun added. "There are a lot of teachers who probably deserve this honor, but I think it will be nice for the Catholic schools to get a little recognition because of us." Until last year, McGuire mainly taught first grade at Villa Teresa. This year, she, along with her students, moved up to second grade. "I keep getting recycled," she joked. "I'm doubly blessed." Carel noted that the two Carmelite nuns have more than 70 years of teaching experience between them. "I've been principal at Villa Teresa for three years, but what impresses me about both of these sisters is that they still just love what they do," Carel said. © The Oklahoma Publishing Co. and its
subsidiary, NewsOK.com. |