Donald Catchings
about the teacher
Donald W Catchings, Jr. graduated Summa Cum Laude from Liberty University’s School of Divinity with a Bachelor of Science in Biblical and Educational Studies and minor in History. He is now pursuing a Master of Arts in Apologetics at Houston Baptist University. As an educator, Donald holds certifications in Secondary Social Studies and Bible Specialist from the Association of Christian Schools International. At this time, he teaches American Literature and College Readiness at Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Texas.
Donald lives in Conroe, Texas with his wife, Rachel, and their three hilarious children- two daughters and one son. Outside of time with his extended family, Donald enjoys expanding his love of literature, history, and theology; attempting to read through his extensive collection of books; and pouring out the words and stories from his imagination into poetry and prose.
Donald regularly contributes to and edits for An Unexpected Journal (www.anunexpectedjourmal.com). Donald, likewise, regularly contributes to his own website, www.donaldwcatchingsjr.com. In 2020, Donald will publish his first book, The Chronicles’ Companion: Joy Through a Wardrobe.
He founded the charitable organization Street Light, Inc. in 2009, where he acts as Board Chair and Pastor of The True Light Church. He is passionate about the opportunity to mentor and teach inquiring minds: those who seek goodness, beauty, and truth. It is Donald's goal in life to bring about the hopeful revelation, through imagination and reason, that in Jesus Christ all "live, and move, and have [their] being" (Acts 17:28, KJV).
Teaching Philosophy
Whether via contemporary technological advantages or more antiquated methods, whether via classroom lectures or a group debate, a good education is one that supplies students with the resources necessary to be successful. However, without a firm foundation of truth, reality, and ethics, any amount of resources will be void. In fact, the most necessary resource for success in education is a firm foundation of truth, reality, and ethics that is based on an unchanging and uncaused first principle. It is such a first principle that is the pillar of higher order thinking and the very impetus of education. Therefore, it is pertinent that students are supplied with a classroom where truth, reality, and ethics can be discussed and discovered in a safe, scholarly, and firmly grounded fashion.
To supply such an environment, an educator must be willing and able to push students to hone their ability to discern what is founded and what is questionable. The educator must harness an environment of sure truth that upholds ethical principles which will enable students to develop academic and social integrity. And, equally as important, the educator must make pragmatic provision for the diverse and unique experiences, preferences, and qualities of the student-body inherent in the classroom. Furthermore, though supplying a secured source of truth, reality, and ethics like Neo-Scholasticism is the best foundation for developing students into higher order thinking citizens, applying Pragmatism, Humanism, and Idealism in varying degrees in classroom roles and methodology properly caters to the diversity in contemporary American. An educator must be willing and able to apply such an open-ended practice to emphasize, utilize, and hone the uniqueness of each individual while instilling the unchanging truth, reality, and ethics necessary for a good and successful education.
Statement of Faith
I believe that there is one God who exists eternally in the unity and love that Christianity has termed the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe that in the beginning, after God's good creation was complete, mankind submitted itself to a fallen state by not trusting God's promises. I believe that God, after the fall of Adam and Eve, revealed the promised redemption which was set in Jesus before time began. I believe that God carried this promise through Abraham and his descendants, the Israelites. I believe that, in Jesus (the seed of Abraham), eternal life came in the flesh and, therefore, life died so that He could "taste death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9). I believe that, as Scripture reveals, all who believe into Him "hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). I believe that in His death He put to death sin and that when He resurrected He proved He had overcome death and sin on behalf of mankind. Furthermore, as Scripture states, whoever believes this has been justified: taken on Jesus' righteousness (Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:21). And now, all believers are free to live for God in His grace by faith.