Jim Gildea

Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti

Mr. Jim Gildea has a firm commitment to making his students at Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti High School feel as comfortable as possible in the classroom. Need proof? It is not uncommon to walk into his British Literature class and find his students listening to classical music while working on an assignment. His Advanced Composition class often find themselves playing Jeopardy! to review for an upcoming exam. And Mr. Gildea even lets his students “rate” his self-proclaimed wacky tie choices on a daily basis.

A teacher for almost four decades, Mr. Gildea believes education is a reciprocal process. “I am learning from my students every single day – just as they are learning from me,” says Gildea. “My students are respected and treated like adults. My job is to prepare them for the future and I try to do that in creative, innovative ways.”

In addition to teaching 11th and 12th grade English, Mr. Gildea is the moderator for the school yearbook and WSNG-TV, Neumann Goretti’s school news channel. When not teaching, Mr. Gildea enjoys trips down the Shore, spending time with family and going to the movies. He also thinks students might be surprised to know that he once owned a motorcycle and played guitar!