ON A MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSION

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November 27, 2020

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Inspired by the Notre Dame mission, middle school teacher Felicia Guest brings the nontraditional and unconventional to her social studies classes.

As an alumna of Notre Dame Prep, Notre Dame Middle School teacher Felicia Guest was quite familiar with the infrastructure and culture of the upper school. But when she became a substitute teacher at NDPMA in 2011, many of her assignments were in the lower and middle school, which were a bit outside of her Notre Dame experience, both figuratively and literally. 

When she was hired full-time at the middle school, while those differences became more apparent to her, she quickly became acclimated to her new environment.

"Most of my former teachers were upper school employees and I was working with a staff that I was not very familiar with," said the 2006 NDP grad. "I was warmly welcomed, however, and Ginny Pauwels, now retired from the middle school, quickly became my mentor and the administration also was very supportive."

Guest noted that when she got back to Notre Dame after college, there had been tremendous progress made in all three divisions, especially in the religious and technology programming. 

"In addition, I noticed back then that the three schools were starting to become more of a unit rather than separate divisions," she added. "Plus, my uncle Andy, now head of school, was working at Notre Dame in advancement so I thought it was cool as a student and then as a teacher to be able to see him in the hallways." 

Between now and Dec. 1, alumni, parents and friends can make a simple but powerful gesture to recognize our faculty and staff during COVID-19. On #GivingTuesday, join us in supporting teachers like Felicia Guest who make a difference in students' lives every day. Visit http://ndpma.org/givingtuesday.

Currently a member of the social studies department of the middle school, Guest was on a slightly different tack when she first got to Oakland University. 

"After graduating high school, I entered into Oakland's music education program," she said. But after completing my freshman year there, I decided that music was more of a hobby and I probably wouldn't enjoy it as a career. I then joined the elementary education program at OU because being an educator had already been part of my plan. Within the elementary ed program, I chose social studies as my focus, as I have always been interested in learning about and exploring our world."

Currently in her ninth year teaching individuals and societies at NDMS, Guest said she's glad she decided to teach sixth, seventh and eighth grade kids.

"I love teaching middle school," she said. "My students are at an age where they traditionally begin learning to take responsibility for their own actions and they are ready to start forming their own opinions. It is so exciting to see them develop those skills in these formative years."

The overall syllabus Guest developed for her middle schoolers, however, is decidedly unconventional and that's due in large part to the fact that Notre Dame's mission informs everything she does at the school.

"Students need to learn how to navigate this world as Christians, citizens and scholars," she said. "Typically, social studies classes have been lecture-based and teacher-centered. Students would memorize historical figures, dates and vocabulary by rote.

"My class, however, is not traditional. I have a master's degree in international education and one of my main jobs when I was hired her at NDPMA was to create a solid International Baccalaureate MYP program for the individuals and societies course. Since I've been here, we've completely transformed the I&S curriculum in the middle school and those classes heavily emphasize discussion, critical thinking and skill-building within the context of exploring the broader world."

With that broader world now deep into a devastating pandemic, it is an understatement that Guest, her colleagues and students at Notre Dame have had to adjust. She said the coronavirus has pushed her to learn more technological skills and diversify her usual modes of teaching and she's been able to discover and learn several new programs that support her curriculum in relevant and engaging ways. She said it has also been at times overwhelming to adjust to the quick changes wrought by the current situation. 

"I definitely look forward to school breaks in order to recharge my batteries," she said. "But I know that my students are very happy when they're back in the classroom versus virtual, as am I. But since our students are such great inquirers and ask great questions, including many about what we're currently going though in our world, I too am constantly learning new things from our discussions no matter how they're held."

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.