• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Julie Guenther from School of the Incarnation in Gambrills is surrounded by students after being named Archdiocesan Elementary School Teacher of the Year May 10, 2023. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

First-grade teacher makes every student feel loved

September 5, 2023
By Sharon Crews Hare
Special to the Catholic Review
Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Schools

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

As a teacher for 35 years, Julie Guenther has shared her life and her faith with more than 900 6-year-olds. For her, it is like having two families, one that lives in her home, and another that grows larger each time a new school year begins.

“They’re like my own children, just sweet little souls,” she said. “They’re just so full of love and it’s so good to spend my days with them. Our classroom is like a family.”

Guenther began her teaching career in the public school system in Prince George’s County, but for the last 22 years, she has been teaching first grade at School of the Incarnation in Gambrills. Just recently, she was named Archdiocesan Elementary School Teacher of the Year.

Julie Guenther, right, is congratulated by a colleague from School of the Incarnation in Gambrills after she was named Archdiocesan Elementary School Teacher of the Year. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

When her parish, Our Lady of the Fields in Millersville, became involved in the formation of a new Catholic school, Guenther saw her life beginning to change. She became part of the planning committee, and when the school opened, she became its kindergarten teacher. The following year, she moved up to first grade and has been teaching those little ones ever since.

“Each day brings a new opportunity,” Guenther said. “Their minds are so open at that age. Every day I wake up and think to myself, ‘How can I do it better?’ because there’s always room for improvement.”

Guenther, who received a degree in early childhood education from Christopher Newport University, in Newport News, Va., comes from a family of educators. Her mother, father and grandfather were all teachers, so it came naturally to her.

Nancy Baker, principal at Incarnation, called Guenter an “excellent teacher.”

“She definitely has the art of teaching and helps her students to learn,” Baker said, “but what’s special about her is her amazing ability to make each and every person feel loved.”

That is not just love for her students, the principal explained, but for their parents and her colleagues as well.

“God’s love shines through Julie,” Baker said. “She really believes in Catholic education. It’s about educating the whole person and you can’t do that without feeding their soul.”

Guenther counts herself as fortunate to be able to share her life and her faith every day in the workplace.

“I have opportunities every single day to strengthen my own faith with the children I teach, and with my colleagues,” she said. “I see God as being part of everything we do.”

One of her daily class routines is to have the children offer prayer intentions. The prayers have grown in importance to the students as they begin to realize the purpose and the importance of prayer.

“In the beginning, they started out with less important intentions,” Guenther explained, “but as the year goes on, you can see that they understand what it is to pray for somebody. I hope that by praying with them, I’m ingraining that in them, so they learn to pray for other people.”

Read More Schools

When it comes to serving students with disabilities, how are Catholic schools doing?

School club gives students chance to benefit veterans, fosters Gospel value of serving others

school choice

ANALYSIS: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ gives school-choice advocates partial victory with more to do

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Double the learning: Dual enrollment provides college credit to high school students

2025 Stellar graduates

2,156 seniors graduate from Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Copyright © 2023 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Sharon Crews Hare

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • Archbishop Wenski leads Knights on Bikes to pray rosary at Alligator Alcatraz

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Radio Interview: Youth ministry changing with the times

| Latest Local News |

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

| Latest World News |

Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids

FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence

Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives

Catholic ‘American Ninja Warrior’ fights world hunger, one obstacle at a time

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary
  • LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids
  • FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence
  • Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives
  • Our faith is not afraid of questions
  • Catholic ‘American Ninja Warrior’ fights world hunger, one obstacle at a time
  • Parishes need to launch ‘revolution of care’ for the elderly, pope says
  • Broglio: Church teaching obligates the faithful to support pastoral care of migrants
  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en