What is Catholic Teachers Guild of TOronto?
The Catholic Teachers Guild is a lay organization that exists for the purpose of strengthening the faith life of its members. We seek to support the vocation of the Catholic teacher through special events, lectures, study groups, a website, and ultimately, by the establish mean of an institute for such activity.
RECENT NEWS
2023 Jean-Baptiste De La Salle Award
Congratulations to Mr. Rodney Burley, RECIPIENT of the 2023 Jean-Baptiste de La Salle Award
Rodney Burley has a background in manufacturing engineering, working primarily for Magna for over 20 years before entering the teaching profession. His teaching vocation began in the Fall of 2009 at St. Elizabeth Catholic High School in York Region as a teacher of manufacturing technology, where he was also involved with the robotics team, retiring in 2023 from St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School, also in York Region. Mr. Burley not only brought in new equipment, new technology, design, and updates to the classroom, but he fostered a sense of community and belonging, a caring environment with leadership and stability in a world growing in uncertainty. All students, including those with troubled backgrounds, those who are not comfortable sitting in the halls or eating lunch by themselves in the cafeteria would find a place of comfort Mr. Burley’s classroom. Just as Jesus went to the marginalized, Mr. Burley welcomed them into his classroom treating all with dignity and respect. His experiences in engineering made him an effective teacher, and a mentor to other teachers, but it was his Catholic faith that led him to the teaching vocation. His experiences and steps along the way in his journey were all part of God’s plan that made him the educator he is. It is through his journey that he was able to relate to students, tell them stories, and connect with them at a more personal level to show them that God is also there for them. His previous career made him a better teacher, but his faith shaped the way he would become an educator. Students developed such a strong sense of trust and encouragement that they would return to visit him, oftentimes several years after graduation, to update him on their lives and to continue asking for advice. They would seek him out because they know he cares. It is this approach to education that has made Mr. Burley a worthy candidate for the 2023 De La Salle Award.
