Teachers will ‘plant the seeds of knowledge and faith’

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

MIAMI GARDENS| More than 37,000 students will head back to 65 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Miami on Aug. 12, 2025. While this will be a first-time experience for many students of different ages, it will also be a first for about 250 educators who will be teaching in Catholic schools in the archdiocese for the first time.

Jessica Marrero is part of the group of new teachers. With five years of experience in education, she initially taught in Catholic schools, then switched to public schools. Having taught in both sectors, Marrero said that having a Christ-centered mission is one reason she will be teaching in a Catholic school this year.

“Regardless of whatever subject it may be, I really love that we can bring Christ into whatever it is that we are teaching, and show the young, the adolescent, and all age learners in life that God is in the center of everything. He’s in the numbers, He’s in the science, He shows us the why, while academics show us how it works,” said Marrero, who will teach English Language Arts (ELA) at Nativity School in Hollywood.

Earlier in August, her beliefs were reinforced at the New Teacher Orientation organized by the Office of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Miami at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens. Teachers headed to archdiocesan schools for the first time, whether they had previously taught in other educational sectors or are teaching for the first time ever, attended the half-day event to learn more about the mission and ministry of Catholic education. Presentations focused on fostering relationships with parents and students, best academic practices, and more. The event also provided an opportunity to network with other educators.

This year, Catholic schools have adopted the theme of “On Good Ground,” inspired by the Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Matthew 13:3-23. Jim Rigg, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Miami, explained that it is the responsibility of educators to “plant the seeds of knowledge and faith” in their students and continue cultivating them as they grow. Educators, he said, must also be “good ground,” and allow the Holy Spirit to guide them as they help change the lives of their students.

“We don’t just teach students academically, socially, emotionally, physically. We are able to teach them and form them spiritually as well. It’s that education of the whole person,” Rigg said.

Catholic schools, whether parochial or independent, must also represent a welcoming and caring community.

“Our students are not just numbers. We know each one of them by name. We know their families, we know their history,” he added.

Nicole Donate, a first-time educator heading to Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School in Miami, believes that Catholic schools are a nurturing environment.

“There’s a lot of community, and that’s something that I think is really hard to find nowadays,” said Donate, who will teach biology.

Also heading to Archbishop Carroll High as new teachers are Lucas Kania and Ryan De-Ara. Along with Donate, the three represented their school pride at the orientation by wearing the Carroll High uniform navy blazer.

De-Ara will be teaching gaming and simulation, a fairly new elective option and extracurricular activity in schools. While many students would happily entertain the idea of playing video games for an entire class period, De-Ara points out that there is way more to learn than how to “level up” and win. Gaming, or esports, can provide lessons in strategy, problem-solving, history, storytelling, STEM and more.

“I want to introduce a lot of elements that coincide with the course material. Count on the learning of effective habits, including better communication, and emotional regulation to also be a part of lesson plans,” De-Ara said.

For Kania, it will be his first time teaching algebra and geometry in high school. Though he is not a rookie in the classroom—last year, he taught at the elementary level—the experiences helped him refine a few lessons every teacher must learn: to be patient, to be understanding, and to be empathetic.

“That’s ultimately being an effective teacher,” he said.

“It’s about how you teach. And sometimes if you teach one way, you can’t always expect that all of your students will get it. Some students learn differently than others. To me, it’s about presenting things in different ways, and them understanding,” Kania said.

He also knows that math is not always a popular subject among students.

“I am not going to try to convert them,” he jokes. “But my goal is to remind them that we are on the same team. I want them to pass this class doing as well as they possibly can.”

He hopes that students learn to appreciate the knowledge they acquire in his class, which might just help them shape their future careers and lives.

“If I could have helped in a little part of that, that’s more than I could possibly ask for,” said Kania.