Returning for the third time to our community, Xavier High School is proud to welcome back Mr. Ryan Brodeur!

After spending his last six years teaching French at Kingswood Oxford in West Hartford, Mr. Brodeur is excited to get back into the Xavier community. In his previous tenure as a teacher here, he taught French and served as the Foreign Language Department Chair, as well as the moderator for the Astronomy Club. His deep passion for Catholic education and admiration for Xavier’s values will once again be a pleasure to have at the school.

Why Come Back?

Very few teachers come back to a school that they’ve taught at in the past, and even fewer teachers come back for a 3rd time to a school they’ve taught at twice in the past.  Those who do return do so for a variety of reasons. They can vary from stability, impact from students and other faculty, comfort and more.

For Mr. Brodeur, it’s none of those. “That’s a difficult question to answer because I can’t create an extensive list. I think the most simple way for me to answer is relationships, and you can come at that from a bunch of different angles. Even throughout my time at different schools, I kept in contact with people I met through Xavier and I would’ve been back a lot sooner if it wasn’t for the pandemic. My relationship with those people over the years I’ve been here, was that we were very close. I trusted them, and they trusted me. That’s always something that has stuck with me,” he said.

Goals for this Time Around

As said, Mr. Brodeur is on his third tour of Xavier, but his goals for his career have not wavered!

When I asked how his objectives as a teacher changed throughout his years and what his goals are for this year, he said  “My goal in each of the last three times were to be an effective educator, create an environment where students want to learn about the language. Also to participate in and take pride in the school that we all love.”

Getting Back into the Routine

Coming back into a school that has undergone so much change is hard for a teacher. Despite having returned to Xavier before, challenges still remain. A massive factor in overcoming those challenges, is help from fellow faculty.

“Mr. Fitzgerald has been an immense help. Mr St. George, Mr. Ceretta, Mrs. Braychak, Mrs. Keerweer, Mr. Lyons, the entire language department, I could go on and on. From the day that I stepped foot into this school again back in June for my interview, there has been such a welcoming embrace. It’s just been so great,” Mr. Brodeur said.

Evolution of Teaching Style

Mr. Brodeur has been teaching for the better part of two decades. In that time, teachers have had to adapt to ever-changing circumstances with the rise of easily-accessible internet resources and artificial intelligence.

When I asked him about how his style as a teacher evolved throughout his time as a teacher, he said, “I think my style started out pretty traditional. It’s often said that people teach the way that they’re taught, and I would say that was true, especially early on. But as the years have gone on and on, I’ve been able to experience different learning environments and been able to make changes to my instruction that allows for less simply lecturing and more of the incorporation of collaborative in class work.”

Any Changes? 

In some cases, teachers tend to have regrets. Stuff they wish they could go back in time and change if they had the chance. With such an illustrious and unique career, Mr. Brodeur would go back to change one simple thing: “To come back sooner.”

Join us in welcoming back Mr. Brodeur to the Xavier community!

Bienvenue Monsieur Brodeur!