About Us

Our Educators

As members of the Bellarmine community, our Ignatian educators share in the 472-year educational apostolate of the Society of Jesus. As Ignatian educators, their work and way of life aim to be characterized by a love for God shown in our love for humanity. Their care for students and their professional expertise are illumined by spiritual insight, garnered from personal and communal experiences of prayer, worship, and service in accord with the example of Jesus Christ. As Ignatian educators and lifelong learners, they are committed to high professional standards of education and Gospel values.

Bellarmine's faculty is passionate about the subject matters they teach, as evidenced by the 62 percent who have earned advanced degrees, including several faculty members holding a doctorate degree. Additionally, the faculty is devoted to employing one of the hallmarks of Jesuit education, cura personalis - care for the individual. With an average class size of 25 students, faculty members get to know their students personally and become invested in seeing them do well. This regular and ongoing interaction and concern results in students who thrive academically and spiritually.

Ignatian Educators, Companions in Ministry

Our faculty seek to embody the following characteristics and practices which describe what it means to be Ignatian educators striving for excellence—the magis at the core of desiring to be of greater service to our students.

Supporting and Encouraging the Faith Community

Seek God in all people, events, and experiences
Recognize that as a Catholic school, we share in the church’s mission
Embrace and put into action, with students and colleagues, Ignatian concepts such as cura personalis¸magis, ad majorem Dei gloriam, spiritual discernment, and more
Share in promoting the philosophy and mission of the school
Reference educational formation to Church teaching and foundational documents of Jesuit education
Participate willingly and generously in “Ignatian Fridays” and other mission-related programs
Provide visible and meaningful respect for and participation in school Masses, Prayer Services, and Retreat Programs
Encourage students to attend retreats, and provide them with reasonable opportunities to make up missed work upon their return
Encourage and model prayerfulness during “Examens” and at other appropriate times, and cultivate one’s own prayer life
Establish course outcomes and learning experiences that help students embrace the descriptors of the “Graduate at Graduation”

Developing as a Professional Educator

Reflect on teaching practice and plan professional development accordingly, employing the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm of Context – Experience – Reflection – Action – Evaluation as appropriate
Establish professional goals, share those goals with appropriate school personnel, and pursue opportunities to grow professionally
Collaborate effectively and consistently within department and with other colleagues as appropriate
Communicate in a clear, timely, and professional manner with students, parents, and colleagues, including communicating course outcomes and assessment standards
Embrace the Ignatian characteristic of presuming goodwill and employ discernment in dealing with all members of the school community

Engaging and Supporting Students

Connect students’ prior knowledge, life experience, and interests with learning goals
Employ variety in instructional strategies appropriate to the subject matter being taught in order to enhance student understanding
Make appropriate accommodations to instructional strategy in order to support students with documented learning differences
Facilitate learning experiences that promote autonomy, interaction, and choice
Engage students in creative higher-order thinking skills, such as problem solving and critical thinking
Promote opportunities for self-directed learning, and opportunities for students to reflect upon what they have learned, so that they can learn from their mistakes, and consider how the subject matter studied in the classroom applies to their place in the world
Make themselves accessible to students outside of class time for additional assistance

Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning

Effectively manage physical space and resources, including technology, space, and furniture, in order to maximize student engagement
Establish a climate that promotes fairness and respect for all people, including treating students equally and encouraging them to listen to each other
Promote social development and group responsibility.
Establish and maintain clear standards for student behavior, enforce school policies, and encourage student growth
Plan and implement classroom procedures and routines that support student learning
Maintain timely and accurate records of attendance and student academic performance
Fulfill substitution assignments reliably and professionally

Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning

Demonstrate knowledge of subject matter content and student development and demonstrate an awareness of church teaching, the Christian tradition, and National and State standards for the subject
Orient the curriculum toward education for justice
Organize curriculum to support student understanding of subject matter, including establishing clear and meaningful curricular outcomes
Interrelate ideas and information within and across subject matter areas
Create learning experiences that match the diversity of the student body and their learning styles
Use materials, resources, and technologies to make subject matter accessible to students and to enhance student learning
Engage in consistent evaluation of curriculum and design to stay current with subject matter, and to ensure that content of course matches course outcomes

Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences

Draw on and value students’ backgrounds, interests, and learning needs
Establish and articulate outcomes for student learning
Select course materials and learning experiences which foster special concern for the poor, leading to service in love and justice
Develop and sequence instructional activities and materials for student learning
Design short-term and long-term plans to foster student learning
Modify instructional plans to adjust for student needs
Plan lessons that engage students’ attention by using class time effectively, demonstrating appropriate pacing and transitions, and connecting new learning to what students know and need to learn
Employ the principles of learning derived from research on learning
Demonstrate a strong knowledge of best teaching strategies, such as the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, Understanding by Design, Cooperative Learning Groups, Literature Circles, Project-Based Learning, etc.

Assessing Student Learning

Collect and use multiple sources of information to assess and enhance student learning
Involve and guide all students in assessing their own learning
Use the results of student assessment to guide future instruction
Strive to return assessments to students in a timely fashion, and in such a way that they can learn from their mistakes
Take steps to ensure that students complete their work honestly
Communicate with students, their parents, and appropriate school personnel about student progress in a timely and professional fashion

Engaging Students Outside the Classroom

Assume responsibility for student behavior outside of the classroom
Provide visible support for students in their co-curricular endeavors
Fulfill prefecting assignments reliably and professionally