Telling stories of the life and work of teachers, or better still, creating an environment for them to tell their stories, was something which initially had nothing to do with my work in academia. In the years 2017 and 2018, I interviewed many teachers in different Jesuit schools across the United States and in the Southern Cone of South America. I did this as part of the data collection for my doctoral thesis in the University of California in Berkley. The thesis sought to find the conditions under which a teaching vocation was developed in Jesuit schools.

It wasn’t long before these stories, shared by over 100 teachers, became stories for which I felt a deep sense of admiration. I felt these stories had to be accessible to others and this access had to be simple. The nature of a PhD dissertation, or of the academic articles that I had generated from it, meant the stories somewhat cloudy, since the objective was to give an account of trends, conditions, or general characteristics to a more specialized audience dedicated to the study of teachers.

That was when the idea of telling teachers’ stories to other teachers in podcast format came about. I had a lot of audio-visual interview material, and had done some preliminary work of grouping teachers under five archetypes of vocation, which are part of the first series of this podcast.

The podcasts are intended to help those who are in charge of the ongoing formation of teachers, especially those teachers who are joining a Jesuit school for the first time. They are all stories of people who have made a career as teachers, and therefore are depositories of a very long pedagogical tradition in several cases. They are stories of priests and also of lay people, which may serve as first-hand information to new teachers on what teaching in this type of organization is all about. I see the podcasts as a complementary aid to the process of induction and accompaniment that the schools most likely already have in place.

Talking about our teaching vocation is good for us. It does us good to go back to the foundation of the decision that led us to choose teaching, and it also helps us not to forget that teaching itself can never be only a profession but is also a vocation, or if you like, a profession that demands a high vocational component.

When I considered a platform for the podcast, I had no doubt that Educate Magis would be part of it. Because of the scope of the organization, and because it is so highly valued.  The openness and dedication of the team at Educate Magis, starting with Éamonn, Gellert, Jesús, and Ciara, was fundamental in carrying out the project.

Below I share with you the Episodes of the Jesuit Educators Podcast series, which are currently available on Educate Magis.

Episode 1.  The Chosen One

Educator: Karen Wuertz, Regis Jesuit High School, Denver, USA.
Narration: Ciara Beuster, Educate Magis
Language: English
Description: In the first episode of this podcast series, we will share the story of Karen Wuertz who has been teaching music in several schools for over 25 years, the last six of which have been in Regis Jesuit High School, Denver, USA. Karen talks to us about her motivations to become a teacher as well as the challenges and most important moments of her career.

Listen to this Episode now

Episode 2. The Builder

Educator: Gaspar (Anonymous) South America
Narration: Jesús Avila, Educate Magis
Language: Spanish
Description: In the second episode of this podcast series we will share the story of Gaspar, who has decided to remain anonymous. Gaspar tells us how he decided to become a teacher and the highlights of his 30-plus year career. He is currently working as a teacher in a Jesuit school in South America.

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Episode 3. The Listener

Educator: Paul Winkeler, Rockhurst High School, Kansas City, USA.
Narration: Ciara Beuster, Educate Magis
Language: English
Description: In the third episode of this podcast series, we will share the story of Paul Winkeler who has been teaching Chemistry and Astronomy for over 20 years, most of this time in a Jesuit school in Kansas City: Rockhurst High School. He shares with us how he decided to become a teacher and how it has been for him and his family to be part of the Jesuit community for all these years.

Listen to this Episode now

About the Editor of this Podcast Series: Cristóbal Madero is a Jesuit priest from the Chilean province. He is a sociologist and theologian, with a PhD in Education from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education, and a Master’s degree in Theology from Boston College. Cristobal is currently a faculty member of the School of Education at a Jesuit university in Santiago (Universidad Alberto Hurtado). He also works as a Chaplain at the Jesuit school Colegio San Alberto in Santiago.