Culture in the classroom and beyond attracts teachers to Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools

This paid piece is sponsored by Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools.

Darwin Daugaard has experienced a lot of “first days of school” in his 41 years of teaching – but never one quite like this.

It began with a job he wasn’t looking for, but one that found him when he walked into the office at O’Gorman High School asking about opportunities for a teacher he mentored.

“I wasn’t looking for me,” said Daugaard, who spent 28 years teaching in public schools in Dell Rapids and Baltic, as well as in Iowa.

“But I said my background anyway, and then the principal came running out of the office to talk to me.”

The next day, as he was contemplating retirement from public school teaching, O’Gorman High School called with a job offer.

On Aug. 18, Daugaard began teaching high school chemistry, physics and AP/college credit chemistry at O’Gorman.

“There’s a lot of courtesy between staff and students as well as students and students,” he said of what he noticed right away. “I have kids say thank you on the way out the door. The first couple weeks, that threw me for a loop because I’ve never had that before. And I’d say a minimum of three students every day will say thank you on their way out the door. That’s just nice. It’s just common courtesy.”

That’s much more the exception than the rule for today’s teachers, he acknowledged.

But it’s one of many reasons why Daugaard and his colleagues say they’re drawn to teaching at Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools.

The culture stands out inside and outside the classroom.

“My colleagues are always willing to help. A couple of us are teaching chemistry and physics, and those partner groups are very helpful. Our principal has asked if there’s anything I need. Nobody says no when you ask for help,” Daugaard said. “The environment is just awesome, and that’s really what keeps everybody here.”

He already has received a grant to advance learning in his classroom, adding robotic Spheros to help students learn about acceleration and velocity.

“I like working with kids, and I really like to push the envelope,” he said. “I like to push them into areas that are harder than they’re used to, and I like seeing the change in students when they’re in college and come back and thank you. That’s what keeps me going.”

Another new face at O’Gorman High School echoed much of Daugaard’s experience. Shane VanDiest began as a theology teacher this school year, teaching freshman classes focused on the Old Testament, and ethics and relationships, and sophomore classes on Christology and ecclesiology.

“I had a great experience at my previous teaching job in Missouri and was hopeful that someday I could return to teaching theology,” he said. “When the job opened up at O’Gorman, I had several friends reach out and encourage me to apply, and the timing for my family was great.”

VanDiest is a Montana native and former college football player who earned degrees in mathematics and biology. He has worked as a Division I coach, in ministry roles and as a theology teacher at a high school in Missouri.

“The best part about my job is getting to field and help students grapple with the genuine, deep questions of the human heart,” he said. “Theology necessarily involves contemplation and pondering about the divine and eternal, and my great joy in teaching is watching students engage in that.”

At O’Gorman High School, he has been struck by the support for the Catholic faith shown by the administration and the faculty.

“One of the common problems in Catholic education in the United States is that schools are often essentially public schools with an added theology class,” he said. “O’Gorman earnestly strives to create a curriculum and environment where the faith is integrated into the very life of the school.”

Julie Manning can relate to VanDiest’s faith-filled teaching experience. She began teaching at O’Gorman Junior High School in 2014, and her husband is the principal at Holy Spirit Elementary. Both their daughters are O’Gorman High School graduates.

“My husband always expressed what a blessing it was to work in a Catholic school,” she said. “When the opportunity arose for me to work at OGJH, I was thrilled.”

In her first few months teaching there, “it was apparent that I was in a special place,” she continued. “I was initially struck by how polite the students were and how grateful they were to me. The students thanked me at the end of class each period. In my 20 years of teaching, I had never experienced that.”

Manning is originally from Tyndall  and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in English at USD. She taught in Scotland and Yankton, as well as at Mount Marty University.

At O’Gorman Junior High, she teaches seventh grade English and literature and eighth grade speech, along with leading the Drama Club and teaching Welcome to Junior High School, an introductory program dedicated to help students feel comfortable transitioning into a new school.

Throughout her career at O’Gorman Junior High, “the blessings kept coming; the staff and administration became like a second family to me,” she said. “I feel so supported, loved and accepted here. Being able to openly express my faith and for my students to express theirs to me has made a remarkable, positive impact on me. We have endured losses, tragedies, triumphs and successes, and through them all, we prayed together.”

It’s a powerful message she’s happy to share with others.

“To anyone considering teaching here, I can tell you my life has forever changed because God led me to O’Gorman Junior High School and Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools, and my faith has increased immensely because of it.”

Saying thanks

If you’re inspired to support these and other incredible teachers like them, November is the perfect time. The fifth annual Tuesdays 4 Teachers is an effort of the Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools Foundation to raise money for key teacher and staff salary endowments. A gift to the Tuesdays 4 Teachers effort helps to ensure future generations of O’Gorman Knights will receive the best-quality, Christ-centered education. Thanks to several generous donor families, all gifts this year will be matched!

Each Tuesday in November through Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29,  different restaurants will participate in the Tuesdays 4 Teachers effort. When you eat out or order to go, a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to this effort to help attract and retain world-class educators. To see participating restaurants and their menus or donate online, click here.