Most students dread coming to school, where they must sit for over an hour in a classroom. Students often find themselves bored in class and counting the minutes until they can leave the classroom. However, this is different when Mr. Edward Donnellan is teaching.
Mr. Donnellan, social studies teacher, comes into class daily with a positive attitude and helps make every class enjoyable. Entering his classroom is enjoyable. He talks to students as they enter and makes the students feel uplifted. Throughout the class, Mr. Donnellan has students finish his sentences and answer questions to keep students engaged. Mr. Donnellan uses Gonzaga’s location as a learning tool for the students, as well.
“We are so lucky to teach in DC. The city is really an extension of our classroom,” Mr. Donnellan said.
Mr. Donnellan has been teaching for 39 years.
“No two days are ever alike, so I’ve enjoyed teaching for all these years,” Mr. Donnellan said.
In a class this year, Mr. Donnellan brought his class to the Proud Boys trial. Teaching in the Washington D.C. area, Mr. Donnellan wanted to give his students an unforgettable opportunity to see this trial. Going to the trial as a class was an eye-opening experience to what is happening in our country. It is a moment that will be in history books, and his classes were able to witness it firsthand.
“The trial is extremely important. It is rare in our history to try people for seditious conspiracy. That charge means that there was an organized plan to stop the peaceful transfer of power from President Trump to President Biden. Knowing that the courtroom was less than a mile from school was another factor. My students are studying the Bill of Rights. There is no better way to learn about these rights than to see them in practice during a trial,” said Mr. Donnellan.
Mr. Donnellan cares about his students and wants to make sure he can help them learn and fulfill their true potential as not only a student but as a person.
“I’ve been teaching for 39 years, and I enjoy getting up at 5 a.m. every morning because I love what I do, and I am passionate about it. I’m trying to become a better teacher every day, and I love being in a profession where I can keep getting better at it,” Mr. Donnellan said.
Mr. Donnellan, or “Mr. D,” as students call him around the school, is loved by students at Gonzaga.
“He takes the time to find where his lessons can relate to students’ lives, and he always leaves time in class to have personal discussions with students,” said Griffin Dabbs, senior.
Teachers who take time to develop relationships with their students and care about their personal life are the teachers who students love. Mr. Donnellan’s purpose as a teacher is inspiring, and all students should take his positive attitude with them.
Diane Semans • May 12, 2023 at 12:27 pm
I’ve know Edward Donnellan for over forty years and although we are on the opposide side of the political spectrum, we
enjoyed a good honest debate and he always respected my point of view,whether the subject was capital punishment or the bombing of Hiroshima during WWII. I am
proud to call him my son-in-law. I just wish we had more teachers like Edward Donnellan.