Teacher Tuesday: Mrs. Wilder

Meet Mrs. Wilder, a Grade 5 Teacher at School of the Cathedral:

How long have you been part of the Cathedral community?

I have been part of the Cathedral community since 1994 when my oldest daughter started school here. All three of my girls attended Cathedral and Morgan was the last to graduate in 2011. My father also graduated from the Old Cathedral in 1941! I was a substitute teacher while my girls were here and in 2005 I was asked to teach first grade. However, my family ended up moving to England, so I only taught one year. Then, upon our return to the states, Sister Joseph Ann asked me to teach fourth grade. I have since taught 4th grade, 3rd grade, and my favorite grade: 5th! I think this is my 9th year at Cathedral.

What do you teach and why do you love teaching at Cathedral?

 I love teaching and have been teaching for 23 years. I taught kindergarten for twelve of those years!

Every day is different; every day there is an opportunity to learn new things and interact with students that have amazing ideas and really want to learn. I think that is one of the many reasons I love teaching at Cathedral. Students want to learn and work to their potential. Being on a campus where we have a beautiful, historic Cathedral that is a true living classroom is just another reason the school is so special. We are so fortunate to have such an open beautiful campus.

The teachers and staff at Cathedral are talented, supportive, and caring. It makes it fun to come to work when you work with people that enjoy teaching as much as you do.

Another reason I love working  at Cathedral is that each Sunday, during the school year, Mrs. Lobo and I hold Children’s Liturgy of the Word during the 9:30am Mass. This year our space has been renovated and looks beautiful. We depend on our Middle School students and high school alum to volunteer with us. This is a great opportunity for me to get to know all ages of Cathedral students, even prospective ones!

What is your elective and what is your first initiative?

This year I am teaching a “Community Service” elective. I choose this elective because I feel it is so important for a school community to not only talk about helping others, but to actually get involved in the whole process of caring for those in need. Our first initiative is called, “Student to Student: A Catholic Schools Response for Hurricane Relief 2017." The effort is country-wide and is fairly simple to implement.

Our committee came up with the idea to sell passes that will allow Cathedral students do an activity of their choice for an entire school day. We have received permission from Mr. Wright and we are anxious to get started. Stay tuned for upcoming information about this worthwhile cause.

What is one take away “life lesson” you hope to impart on your students this year?

I think it is important for students to realize their education never ends. I am still learning things that amaze me and motivate me to continue to learn even more every single day. I also hope they take away that it is important to be true to yourself and not get caught up with what others think. I also can’t stress to them enough that God is always there for them. When faced with tough decisions, remember that God is with you in all you do!