Teachable Moments: Sister Lillian’s ‘Blue Roses’ strive for success at St. Michael

Pictured above: Glenn Mitchell helps St. Michael student Harlem Gie prepare for Mass readings. (Photo courtesy of St. Michael Special School)

In this installment of “Teachable Moments,” Kids’ Clarion asks Glenn Mitchell – an Upper Elementary (ages 13-16) teacher assistant/co-teacher at St. Michael Special School in New Orleans – about the joys of teaching exceptional learners. Mitchell also serves as a lector at St.  Joseph Church and Shrine on the West Bank.

I was drafted into the U.S. Army in my junior year at  LSU-Baton Rouge, and I returned to complete my college education after my military obligation was fulfilled under the G.I. Bill. Upon graduating from LSU in general studies, I realized that I could earn a Louisiana teaching certificate in two semesters at UNO.

Where were your first teaching positions?

I taught language arts at a correctional institution for incarcerated youth in Bridge City for 3 1/2 years before leaving to teach ungraded academics and supervise the Adolescent Day Treatment Program at DePaul Hospital Health and Community Center in New Orleans. It was at DePaul that I really became interested in teaching special education. I learned not only the academic side of reaching these children, but the therapeutic side as well. I also earned my master’s degree in special education while there.

I understand you switched careers. What happened?

I left DePaul to accept a position as an industrial safety representative working offshore for a company in the oil industry. I later worked in the central office as a safety instructor/training coordinator, which allowed me to keep up my teaching skills. I was with the company for six years until I was laid off during the oil industry downturn in the mid-1980s.

What happened next?

I decided to return to teaching. I applied for a teaching position with Jefferson Parish Public Schools and was hired as a special education teacher at a special school for students with disabilities. I was hooked! I was happy to be back in education meeting the challenges and providing services for these special children. I served 31 years in Jefferson Parish until my retirement in 2017. I came to teach at St. Michael in 2021.

Tell us about St. Michael Special School.

• St. Michael provides services for students in five settings: pre-K, elementary school, upper school, Exploration Academy/Job Exploration and the JOY Center (for adult students with special needs). All students at St. Michael are afforded opportunities to learn and participate in activities that they might not have been able to experience in a regular school. We have a student council, vocal choir, bell choir, a  class that prepares small treats and dishes, a small vegetable and herb garden, butterfly garden, social studies and science fairs and an annual Christmas play, all created and presented by the students.

• Everyone is loved; everyone is included; everyone is engaged; everyone belongs; everyone is encouraged; everyone is supported; and everyone is afforded the opportunity to succeed. Every morning, each student is greeted by an adult with a cheery “Good morning!” as they are dropped off and again when they enter their classroom.

• We all pray. We have prayers of guidance, petition and thanksgiving. We have morning prayer, Grace before lunch and afternoon prayer before dismissal. We have Mass once a week – our students do the readings and are the altar servers. During Lent, the students read the stations of the cross. About twice a year, we have a living rosary in the gym.

• Our school theme this year is “Spread Kindness like Confetti” promoting love your neighbor as yourself, be kind, do the right thing, forgive and love one another.

What might people not know about your school?

St. Michael School is a very spiritual, holy place where there is much love, joy, gratitude and prayer. No one can speak of St. Michael without crediting its founder, School Sister of Notre Dame Lillian McCormick, who opened St. Michael specifically for children with special needs in 1965. Her famous quote is, “If there were such a thing as a special blue rose, with what care it would be nurtured! Our students are that special.” Thus, the students of St. Michael are known as “Sister Lillian’s Blue Roses” and are treated as such.

 We view St. Michael the Archangel as the “first superhero,” and we truly believe that he guides and protects us. We also believe that God assigned each of us a guardian angel to guide and protect us. We pray the Guardian Angel prayer every morning.

Why do you love teaching there?

Seeing the students succeed – even their small victories – and knowing that you had a little something to do with it. Every student has special needs, yet they demonstrate such courage and determination to accomplish their tasks, assignments and goals. They can accomplish more than you think they can – and sometimes more than they think they can. They display so much love, joy and happiness.

Could you share a couple of classroom anecdotes?

• Once, I was giving the weekly spelling test and directed the students to write their name and date at the top of their paper and to number their paper from one to 10. One student with a grin on his face wrote: “1-2-10.”

• Two boys in class were having a rift in which one was plainly in the wrong. The boy in the wrong wanted to apologize, but the offended boy was not ready to accept his apology. This rift went on for about a week, with both boys avoiding each other. Then, in music class, the students were called on to pick a partner for a presentation. When the offended boy was asked to pick a partner, he picked the boy who had offended him. It took a lot of courage for the offended boy to do that. I was very moved by that!

What have your students taught you?

What I have learned about teaching students with special needs is that in general, they never complain about their disability and they respond to the love, support, opportunities and expectations provided to them with courage, determination and tenacity, despite their setbacks, disappointments or failures. They are full of joy and happiness!

– Interviewed by Beth Donze