Franciscan Sister Hannah Johnecheck reflects on her life as a second grade teacher at St. Francis of Assisi School, Yuma, AZ.
Sister Hannah Johnecheck
Saint Francis of Assisi School in Yuma, Arizona
Second Grade Teacher
Teaching at a Catholic School is truly a blessing. As you can imagine, adapting and teaching in the midst of a pandemic has not been easy, however, this year has been filled with gifts from God.
For myself, and many of the teachers, this year we realized, in a deeper way, the binding power of prayer. Prayer has helped us to keep loving and supporting each other and our students through the ups and downs of Covid-19. Prayer has helped us to hold on to what is most important and to let go of what is not. Prayer is the gift we could always give each other when there was nothing else we could do to help.
In teaching Second Grade, I also have the blessing of preparing the students for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. I have always believed that Second Grade is a very grace-filled year. You are so frequently talking to the students about good and bad choices and helping them to discover their own ability to choose the good that their hearts become so open to God. Those open hearts continue when you talk to the children about Jesus being truly present in the Eucharist and that they have the blessing of receiving Him. I have always found that the students will have questions in regards to these two new Sacraments, but if they see you believe in the beauty and treasure of these Sacraments with all your mind, heart, and soul they will as well.
