Stories

ACE Blog

Students talking to each other.

Screenshot of CBS On the Road Series. Picture of the bottom of a swimming pool from atop with text that reads, "If I couldn't handle not being good at something, then how could I consider myself a successful person?"

What's Not in the Lesson Plan

It might be crazy to admit that one of my objectives on Fridays is to get my students to cry, but it isn’t because I am giving an impossible test...

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ACE Teachers posing before So-Cal Marathon 2026

Running Through Discomfort

I feel great. Granted, I’m only 3 miles into my 13.1 mile journey, but I feel better than ever. It’s hot, but I’ve run in this weather countless times. After...

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PIE Blog April 2022 - Drinking from the Well

Drinking from the Well

In today’s Catholic classrooms, we find academic, behavioral, executive functioning, and social emotional variability. As educators, we understand that learning is a complex endeavor and we need to tend to...

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The Return Home

A few weeks ago, I ran a half marathon in Fort Worth, Texas, to raise money and awareness for St. Mary of Carmel School in Dallas. Running was part of...

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“What comes next?"

As a senior, I have experienced the anticipation of spring’s arrival on Villanova’s beautiful campus three times, but this year feels somehow more significant. The physical signs of spring on...

Advent Reflections 2021 Christmas

Merry Christmas!

As we walk by our manger scenes this Christmas, their familiar beauty can make us forget: that night didn’t start out so great. That night began with Mary and Joseph...

Jimmy Ryan - In Class with a student

A Day in the Life of a STEM Teacher

“Yo, that’s Physics!” Mike shouted triumphantly after his throw went about 40 yards downfield. He had just experienced firsthand how adjusting the angle of a projectile to approximately 45 degrees...