The perspective of a true teacher as modeled by Adelaide Teague Case

In the back of my cupboard sits a chipped coffee mug, a gift from my supervising teacher at the end of my student teaching assignment. Inscribed on it are the words, “To teach is to change a life forever.” These words could not be any truer. Reflecting on them now, I notice how they emphasize a single, changed life—a powerful reminder of the personal impact a teacher can have.

Teachers wield a great force. Great teachers exercise this force responsibly, modeling not only educational outcomes but values, integrity, and compassion through both their instruction and character.

This defines Adelaide Teague Case (1887 – 1948). Adelaide, a pioneer among women educators, devoted her life to God’s work, putting her faith to practice through her teaching, mentoring, and working toward social reform, all while enduring a recurrence of childhood skeletal tuberculosis, having to undergo multiple operations on her legs. Though initially forced to withdraw from her graduate program because of her illness, she later continued her studies at Columbia University, during which time she became a course assistant in the religious education department and served as an instructor for the New York Training School for Deaconesses, completing her Ph.D. at Columbia in 1924. By 1935, she was appointed to the role of full professor and Chair of the Religious Education Department at Teachers College, Columbia.

Adelaide Case’s commitment extended beyond the classroom. She worked tirelessly advocating peace, integrating peacemaking educational philosophy and practice. Through the 1930s and ‘40s, she served on the executive board of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, was a member of the Peace Action committee of the New York Federation of Churches, and later served as vice-president of the Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship (currently the Episcopal Peace Fellowship).

In 1941, Adelaide became the first woman to hold the rank of professor at an Episcopal seminary, being elected “Professor of Christian Education” at the Episcopal Theological School (ETS) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Because of the lingering effects of the Great Depression,  the endowment funding for her position dwindled. The Dean of the seminary, Angus Dun, was so impressed by the dynamics of her life’s work as an educator, activist, and respected religious leader that he secured private donations to cover her salary for three years.

Dr. Adelaide, also known as “Dr. A.” by her students, presented her student educators with instructional practice that is child-centered as opposed to teacher-centered. She fostered inclusive, nurturing learning environments within Christian education. She viewed religious education for both children and adults as a practice that is tied to one’s social context. Within her own work as both a faculty member and as a counselor and mentor to students within her program, she opened her faculty housing to Japanese Americans, African Americans, and those of the Jewish communities who were homeless, offering not just shelter but dignity and belonging.

Adelaide’s daily faith practice included attending daily Eucharist services at her parish, but she is most remembered for the action she undertook between those services.  Her life of prayer and action embodied the African proverb, “When you pray, move your feet,” advancing the Gospel’s directives both internationally and in her immediate community. 

Upon falling ill with tuberculosis of the adrenal glands in 1948, Adelaide continued receiving daily Eucharist, delivered by her parish priest.  The night before her passing, her final words to members of her household were characteristically selfless: “What can I do for you?”

As we remember this astounding educator, servant, and advocate for social justice and international peace, we see her work through the prism of the Beatitudes. Like Jesus, who taught the crowd by sitting among them, Adelaide taught through presence, humility, and love. We see Adelaide most notably when we hear the words, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NRSVue).

As the school year winds down across the country, this is an ideal time for reflection. Whether at home or within church programs, create space to honor the work of teachers within our lives. Invite children and adults alike to recall the teachers who have impacted their lives. Connect their stories with the legacy of teachers within our Church history, like Adelaide Case and Christ Jesus, our teacher. 

Offer prayers of thanksgiving for the good work of educators in your life. And pray that we may all continue to grow as lifelong learners in our faith, our habits, and our service to others.