• 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
Archbishop Spalding High School, Severn, teacher Karen Montoya smiles as she's surprised with the Archdiocesan High School Teacher of the Year award May 10, 2023. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Karen Montoya brings out best in Spalding students

September 12, 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

For the past 32 years, Karen Montoya has walked into a classroom in September with the sole purpose of developing a love and understanding of chemistry in her students.

When she was recently approached in BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport by a former student who shared that she was now a pharmacist, Montoya savored the news with the thought that maybe she had some small part in that choice.

“I can see them succeed in the classroom,” Montoya said. “You have those little moments, sometimes daily, where they are struggling and then they finally get it, but they don’t realize the power they have when they come back and tell you these things, how it just pulls at your heart.”

Archbishop Spalding High School, Severn, teacher Karen Montoya, pink sweater, celebrates her Archdiocesan High School Teacher of the Year award with her class May 10, 2023. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Recently, Montoya was named the Archdiocesan High School Teacher of the Year. She has been teaching chemistry at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn for the past seven years, but her entire teaching career has been with the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

John McCaul, her principal at Spalding, said there is no doubt in his mind why she won this award.

“She has an enthusiasm for the work,” he said. “This teacher, in every moment, communicates to all of our students, with her words and actions, that she is so glad God created them and that they exist in this world.”

He noted that when the announcement was made to students at a schoolwide Mass during Catholic Schools Week, all 1,300 students rose to their feet, cheering and expressing their shared joy with the teacher’s recognition.

Montoya, who worships at several area parishes, finds that teaching in a Catholic school atmosphere allows her the flexibility to present the lessons in a way that is more beneficial to her students.

“I always like the fact that I can teach them to become good citizens,” she said. “It’s a place where we can talk about God, pray before class and do service-oriented projects with my students.”

Montoya, a graduate of University of Maryland College Park, initially put her chemistry degree to use working as a chemist, but said she felt a “pull of wanting to help people understand things better,” and that’s what initiated her switch to the teaching field. She took teaching classes for her teaching certification at Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore.

She noted that at the beginning of each school year, she sets teaching goals for herself. For as many years as she can remember hers has always been to have some type of hands-on activity in every class. Methods vary from using white boards, to “minute-to-win-it” games, or even smiley face stickers, but often those activities involve food.

“When we are learning how things dissolve, I use Starburst candies,” she explained, “and when we talk about the atom, I use different cookies that represent what the atom looks like as the model changes over the centuries.”

Recent student surveys that named her Spalding Teacher of the Year note her enthusiasm, her commitment to providing an atmosphere conducive to learning, and her strong example of faith.

Read More Schools

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

Thank you to a one-of-a-kind teacher

Radio Interview: Dominican sister at Mount de Sales shares faith journey from astrophysics to religious life

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 |

  • Hunt Valley parishioner recalls her former student – a future pope

  • superman Movie Review: Superman

  • Deacon Gary Elliott Dumer Jr., active in men’s ministry, dies

  • Loyola University Maryland graduate ordained Jesuit priest

  • Pope Leo visits Italian Carabinieri station, Poor Clares during summer break

| Latest Local News |

Scopes Monkey Trial ignited century-long debate on evolution and belief 

Deacon Gary Elliott Dumer Jr., active in men’s ministry, dies

Radio Interview: The music and ministry of Seph Schlueter

Hunt Valley parishioner recalls her former student – a future pope

Father Herman Benedict Czaster, former Curley teacher, dies at 86

| Latest World News |

Poll: Record-high percentage of U.S. adults say immigration good for country

Patriarchs support Christian communities attacked by Israeli settlers in solidarity visit

Pope Leo visits Italian Carabinieri station, Poor Clares during summer break

1 officer dead, 3 seminarians kidnapped after attack on Nigerian seminary

Trump administration to appeal after judge blocks ICE detentions based on race

| 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

  • Poll: Record-high percentage of U.S. adults say immigration good for country
  • Scopes Monkey Trial ignited century-long debate on evolution and belief 
  • Patriarchs support Christian communities attacked by Israeli settlers in solidarity visit
  • Pope Leo visits Italian Carabinieri station, Poor Clares during summer break
  • 1 officer dead, 3 seminarians kidnapped after attack on Nigerian seminary
  • Trump administration to appeal after judge blocks ICE detentions based on race
  • Remember common decency in immigration enforcement
  • Sponsors – for life
  • Listen for God this summer

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