TEACHER'S CORNER: TEACHING BECOMES MINISTRY FOR KOEHLER

Sixteen-year teaching veteran Mark Koehler thinks his classroom is probably very different from most in the area because of the subject matter he teaches. He teaches morality, scripture and the history of the Christian Church to sophomores and juniors at Notre Dame High School.

"I view my teaching as a ministry rather than a career," he said. "Prayer plays an essential part in my teaching ministry."

Koehler said he spends a lot of time in the classroom telling stories and sharing his personal experiences. Stories and personal experiences help us to ground theology in reality, he said, and provide a way to relate abstract truths to our lives. Students are also encouraged to share their own stories as they apply to topics studied in class, he said.

"That's the primary way Jesus taught, and I think he knew what he was doing," said Koehler.

Seeing his current and former students taking an active part in their churches is very gratifying to Koehler. He said he has heard many people express concern about the values of today's young people, but he sees their values in action everyday. "It's impossible to be around high school students and not pick up some of their enthusiasm," he said. "I am consistently impressed by the compassion they show for one another. They are really concerned about many issues that adults tend to take for granted.

"I see enormous potential in some of them for leadership that is guided by a good set of values."

Koehler has been able to develop this potential in several groups of students he has taken on educational trips for the past two years. The trips to Europe really help students to expand their horizons, he said, and recognize the value of much that they are learning as they study history and other cultures and languages.

He said a great deal of learning takes place outside of the traditional classroom, and teachers have the responsibility of helping students assimilate that knowledge.

"Students need a framework of what they already know and the tools to assess new information," he said. "I think it's critically important for this generation to understand themselves as citizens of the world."