Bishop Joseph L. Imesch Award for "Excellence in Teaching"

Thomas White

Benet Academy

Recipient Thomas (Tim) P. White, a teacher at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois for forty-four years, is a model for excellence in teaching and service in the educational community as well as a Christian role model among students, faculty and administration. In addition to teaching, Mr. White serves as an ordained Roman Catholic Deacon. As a pastoral associate in Holy Angels Church in Aurora he is involved with PADS, the parish food pantry, outreach to the sick and elderly, and Marriage, Baptismal and Confirmation preparation.

Principal Ernest Stark, along with Benet Academy faculty and staff, made the nomination. According to Mr. Stark, Mr. White is a "master teacher, sought after by students and admired by colleagues, his zeal is not limited to the intellectual growth of his students. He is not subject matter bound. His intent is to teach whole persons and nurture their spiritual, social and cultural maturation as well." Mr. White describes his approach to teaching as the following, "My room is not a haven for peaceful somnolent souls. There is noise; there are expressed feelings; there are questions and very few definitive answers. To me that is the way a classroom should be: Socratic dialogue, lecture-question-answer-rambling, group discussion, student interaction, a teacher pinned up against the wall fending off verbal attacks by aroused adolescents; but always reason, but always enthusiasm, but always discovery by all present."