What makes the faculty at Cristo Rey Columbus so special is their passion and dedication to our mission. We caught up with Chemistry teacher, Dr. Brandon Crowe, to talk about his approach to teaching at CRC and more:
Q: You previously taught chemistry at the college level. What inspired you to bring your experience to a high school classroom?
A: I had been jumping around, working part time at multiple universities including Ohio State and Otterbein. The university teaching I was doing was only semester to semester which required me to get new teaching jobs every semester, so it was a difficult time in my career. Then my wife found a job posting for Cristo Rey. I decided to apply and was fortunate to get the job. So, I wasn’t really looking to teach at Cristo Rey but instead the opportunity found me.
Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching at Cristo Rey?
A: While teaching here was not my original plan, this was certainly what God had in store for me. I’ve found teaching the great students of Cristo Rey to be joyous for me. I get to share my passion for the connection between science and religion with my students every day. I get to share how evidence and reason from science can lead to a confident faith. I’m now in my seventh year at CRC and I’m more confident now than ever that this was really God’s calling for me. The joy I get in participating in the mission of Cristo Rey is immense, and I can only be grateful to God for putting me into the position.
Q: Chemistry can feel intimidating at first. How do you help students build confidence and discover the excitement in learning the subject?
A: I believe all students can succeed in math and science. While chemistry can be more challenging and abstract than other subjects, there is joy in learning it and seeing the connections. My method is to start small and slowly build up their understanding. I want each lesson to be approachable. Growth in learning can often be invisible to us and our students. Chemistry is great in that the material we deal with at the end of the year is difficult and requires an understanding built over the course of the full year. Looking back, it becomes obvious to the students how far they’ve come – our school’s mantra of “Cougars Climb” is clearly evident in my class.
