Saint Joseph Catholic Middle School teacher retires

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Pat Crosslin

OGDEN — Saint Joseph Catholic Middle School teacher Pat Crosslin will retire when the school year ends.

Last year, Crosslin was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution for her years of teaching eighth-grade students the research process.

"Pat was honored during the 2010-2011 school year for the phenomenal work she has done with the students," said Nancy Essary, St. Joseph Elementary and Middle School principal. "Her students truly know how to write and are well prepared for high school. She has been a steady force in our middle school to keep moving us forward and pushing high expectations of our students. It will be hard to replace her amount of experience."

For the past 10 years, Crosslin’s students have excelled the DAR history contest.

"We have always had two to four winners each year," she said. "I’ve been teaching the students how to do the research process from note cards to the bibliography so when they go to high school they are prepared to do a research paper. I’ve had to research the subjects myself each year to get them motivated, but this is a fun way for them to learn. The subjects cover historical people or anniversary celebrations such as Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin or this year’s bicentennial of the War of 1812."

Research is not junior high school students’ favorite activity, but Crosslin said she has had students come back after high school and tell her they still use the skills she taught them.

Among the many highlights in Crosslin’s 37-year career is when students come back to say, ‘Thank you,’ or when she teaches the children of students she taught.

"I like when they say they want to be English teachers," she said. "But the biggest one is when I see the light bulb go on and somebody understands something."

Mikelle Weil’s two children were among Crosslin’s students. "It was amazing for them to have a legacy teacher like her, who comes from an old-school English tradition utilizing grammar methods and tools," said Weil, a St. Joseph alumna. "She taught them to diagram sentences that made them better writers and they are grateful for having had her for English."

"Sister Joseph Ann Kacerek was my mentor and she gave me the tools and my love of English while she was the principal of the school," said Crosslin. "She pointed out that English was what I needed to teach."

Crosslin began teaching first grade in 1975 at St. Joseph Elementary School, but began student teaching when she was in elementary school.

"I used to pull kids off the street in our neighborhood and teach school using my own little blackboard," she said. "I knew I wanted to be a school teacher from the time I was in the second grade."

Crosslin graduated from California State Hayward (now California State East Bay) in 1975 and moved to Utah. She substituted in public schools for a year before starting at St. Joseph. "I’m only Catholic by adoption; I’m Episcopalian, but I have participated in the Masses and prayers all these years," she said. "It’s never been a problem; the two religions are close."

Crosslin has been very satisfied with her choice to become a teacher. "I feel that I’ve touched the lives of many kids," she said. She has taught every grade and after taking a sabbatical to get her master’s degree, she found her niche was teaching middle school.

She is a little timid about retirement although it’s time, she said. "Retirement will be hard because the school has been like family for so long," she said.