Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet?: 10 Ways the Gospels Can Help You Combat Teacher Burnout and Rediscover Your Passion for Teaching

by Amy J. Cattapan

Overview

You work hard to motivate your students every day, but where can you find the inspiration you need when teaching gets tough or your passion for the classroom starts to wane?

Veteran teacher Amy J. Cattapan invites you to look to the greatest teacher of all time—Jesus. With humor and stories from the trenches, Cattapan draws valuable insight and tools from the Gospels and shares ten life-changing principles every teacher can learn from Jesus. In Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet?, she’ll help you hang onto your sanity and fulfill your calling even when you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and on the verge of burnout.

Classroom burnout is real. About 44 percent of new teachers in New York leave the profession by their fourth year and 40 percent of new teachers leave Chicago schools within five years. All over the country, managing online instruction has only added to the pressures teachers face.

In order to combat frustration and burnout, Cattapan will help you:

• remember where your calling began;
• rediscover who this is all about;
• know when to lean on others for help;
• learn how Jesus dealt with challenges; and
• understand that God’s grace really is enough.

Whether you’re a brand new teacher, a veteran educator, or a homeschooling parent, you’ll find wisdom—and more than a few laughs—in Cattapan’s reflections on the Great Teacher and in classroom stories straight from the front lines.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646800384
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	08/20/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	523,566
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Amy J. Cattapan is a middle-school English teacher and Catholic speaker, retreat leader, and author who has written or contributed to several books, including Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet?, Chicken Soup for the Soul: From Lemons to Lemonade, and the award-winning novels Angelhood and Seven Riddles to Nowhere. She hosts Cath-Lit Live! for the Catholic Writers Guild.

Cattapan has appeared on The Katie McGrady Show on SiriusXM, EWTN’s Bookmark, Catholic Faith Network Live, and the Son Rise Morning Show. Her writing has appeared in Highlights for Children, Hopscotch for Girls, Pockets, and Catechist. She also served as the host for Shalom World TV’s BOOK.ed.

Cattapan earned a bachelor’s degree in English secondary education from Marquette University, a master’s degree in instruction for secondary education language arts from Northeastern Illinois University, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Loyola University Chicago. She has spoken at a variety of conferences, including NCEA, the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, and C3.

She lives in the Chicago area.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

1 Jesus Began Small 1

2 Jesus Had a First Day, Too 13

3 Jesus Put the Children First 23

4 Jesus Set the Stage for Learning 35

5 Jesus Asked for Help 43

6 Jesus Knew When (and How Far) to Bend the Rules 53

7 Jesus Knew the Power of a Good Story 73

8 Jesus Took Challenges in Stride 87

9 Jesus Trusted Gods Grace to Do Divine Arithmetic 105

10 Jesus Knew When to Stop and Just Let It Be 119

Conclusion 133

Acknowledgments 137

Notes 139

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Teaching is tough. The best way to survive and thrive as a teacher is to take the journey with other educators. Amy Cattapan throws struggling teachers a life preserver with this funny and faith-filled set of reflections about the joys of Catholic education. Cattapan is living proof that you can still smile after decades in the classroom and she invites readers of this book to discover how they can keep smiling, too.” —Jared Dees, founder of TheReligionTeacher.com and author of Christ in the Classroom

“Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet? will make you smile. Amy Cattapan stirs up joy in each of us, sharing gospels connected to everyday teaching and reminding us that we are called, we are beloved, and God is pleased with us—all welcome elixirs to the everyday struggles of teaching and of life. This is the book that teachers in Catholic schools need today, but they will also seek it again and again. Cattapan’s writing voice is friendly and kind, and she uses gentleness and humor to reassure us that we are called to teach with compassion. I am grateful for having read this lovely book and look forward to sharing it with my Catholic school friends!” —Michelle Lia, assistant director for the Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education, Loyola University Chicago

“In order to thrive in mission, the Catholic educator must have a strong relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This dynamic benefits both the teacher and student. And what better teacher than Jesus, the master himself. Whether you are new to teaching or a veteran educator, read this book to enliven your faith, both in and out of the classroom.” —Justin McClain, Catholic high school theology teacher and author of Called to Teach

“I really enjoyed Amy Cattapan’s new book! This engaging read certainly resonated with me. This book is the perfect present for any new or seasoned teacher. I’m planning to buy copies for my teacher besties. Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet? couldn’t have come at a better time after a year of pandemic teaching. You have a winner with this one!” —Barb Gilman, cofounder of #CatholicEdChat