First-grade teacher makes every student feel loved

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.

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.”

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