The Vincentian Spirit Amongst
Educators
St. John’s University prides itself on
being Vincentian, a way of life based on the teachings of Saint
Vincent de Paul. This Vincentian spirit permeates every part of
life at St. John’s, whether noticeable or not. As such, students
and faculty alike cannot help but embrace the Vincentian Mission.
For members of the School of Education the Vincentian spirit can be
essential for enriching their classroom environment and teaching
methods, as well as their own lives.
To understand both how and why this is,
it is important to understand more about what it means to “be
Vincentian.” When questioned, students and faculty gave varied
responses, but each one mentioned the drive to help others or to
give back what they were lucky enough to have in their own lives.
Professor Roberta Van Buskirk went further, stating, “To be part of
the Vincentian mission means I strive in my work and my home life
to always be open to the diversity of the world and to show a
preferential option for the poor and marginalized people of the
world.”
What is interesting about Professor Van
Buskirk’s answer is her phrasing, “the poor and marginalized.”
While this brings some fairly common and obvious images to mind,
such as someone who is homeless and is discriminated against for
circumstances he/she cannot help, it can be taken as more than
that. There are more ways that people can be poor than just in
material or monetary possession. A person can be poor in knowledge,
experience, hope, self-esteem, etc. They can also be marginalized
by their own families or teachers, who believe them unimportant or
incapable. Sometimes people are poor and marginalized in both the
conventional ways that come to mind first, as well as other ways.
It is important to remember this as future educators because
students come from all different walks of life and have a diverse
experiences and life-styles. This means that they also have a
variety of needs, which as a teacher, it is important to be aware
of and to try to address in the most beneficial way
possible.
Another part of the Vincentian spirit,
which plays into this, was mentioned by Sara Rhodes, a student here
at St. John’s. She said, “Being Vincentian means to put the best
interest of the community at the forefront.” As teachers, our
classes are essentially small communities, our schools and the
students and faculty who make them up larger communities, and the
surrounding town or city an even bigger community than that.
Therefore, the Vincentian spirit is not confined to just one place.
It is not the duty of a teacher to care for his or her students
only while they are physically present in a classroom, but also
while they are not.
Beyond just helping students and
members of our larger communities, the Vincentian mission calls us
to instill this spirit in others. Professor Van Buskirk gave an
example of how this can be done in a school setting. She said, “I
almost always have a service project in my classes because I see no
purpose in knowing ‘things’ about God if we don’t know how to put
it to use in the world.” In this way, Professor Van Buskirk enables
her students to experience for themselves the service to which the
Vincentian spirit calls all of
us.
The benefits and effects of such
experiences cannot be underestimated. Professor Gary Wong is living
proof of that. When questioned, he said, “I decided to become a
teacher because I was given an opportunity as a freshman to work in
America Reads, America Counts. With my experience, I was able to
work in a school as a teacher’s assistant with ESL students.
Through these interactions, for a time period of two months, they
went from speaking little to no English, to willing to take a
chance to speak English.To see how time well spent in a short
amount of time could make a difference really pushed me to wanting
to become a teacher.” This illustrates not only how service can
show how to serve, but also inspires how it inspires participants
to give back even more.
Yet, Professor Wong’s experiences also
hint towards another aspect of service, and therefore the
Vincentian spirit. When describing his service, it can be seen how
he was able to take on leadership role while helping his students.
Although the service Professor Wong described has a clear
connection to the classroom, it is important to remember that any
type of service will help us if we wish to be future teachers.
Besides helping to develop social skills, service tends to promote
leadership abilities. For example, Sara Rhodes explained how she
has been involved in Girl Scouts her whole life. She said, “Through
scouting, I have been involved in community service, including
holding toy drives or art supplies for under-privileged children
and serving as a role model for the younger girl members… By being
involved in your community through service, you learn about people.
In my teaching methods, I try to bring the leadership I learned
through Girl Scouts and my knowledge of the community to instruct
and lead my
students.”
Therefore, while Vincentian spirit
promotes helping others, it also helps those who participate in it.
For those who want to be future teachers, these benefits are even
more important and useful. Not only does living a Vincentian life
promote skills that are necessary for the classroom, it also gives
a new and deeper perspective on what students need and how said
needs can be meet. With teachers, students, and the community at
large benefiting from this mission of service and community, it is
important for us as individuals to foster and share this spirit
everywhere we go, just as St. John’s has promoted and nurtured this
spirit in us.
Written by: Kathryn Beleckas