“Life is lived in the ordinary things.” Mrs. Mattix starts.
Ask any alumni in the past 40 years, and all will speak of their experience with Mrs. Mattix, a touch stone for all students since 1984. All express their gratitude for her quality instruction and high standards. “Student’s want to be challenged,” she emphasizes.
Michele’s path as an educator began young. The daughter of a Catholic school teacher and administrator, she attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Great Falls taught by the Ursuline Sisters. As Great Falls Central had closed by her high school days, she went to Great Falls High.
But Michele returned to her Catholic formation at Carroll College. When asked why education, she reminisces, “I didn’t choose education, I was led to this profession.”
It was there she met her future husband, Bill Mattix, a fellow Carroll student. Once married, Michele and Bill lived in student housing in Missoula while he finished his law degree. Michele taught 2 years at Loyola Sacred Heart Catholic High School. With a job for Bill in Billings, Michele had two positions offered on the same day, at Holy Rosary Catholic School or at Billings Senior High School. “I called my mother, and she said to me, ‘you already know your choice,’ and I did,” she states.
When asked what has changed in education, she responds, “Of course, technology and the faces change. But the biggest change is the pace at which students, parents, and teachers operate. It was slower when I first started. Now, we look ahead for fear of being unprepared or missing out. It can be exhausting for everyone. We often miss the joy in the here and now, in the ordinary things.” She continues, “In my classroom today, we slow down. We put technology away. And we talk. We talk about literature, a book’s ideas, its relevance to students (and a book must be relevant!), and how to express their thoughts through
writing. I tell my students, my red pen is not a criticism, it is an opportunity for discussion.”
When asked what has remained the same, Michele again pauses to reflect, “In their core, the kids haven’t changed. Since the beginning, they have all been deeply involved in their spiritual journey. Students want to feel like they belong in the community. Central does this well, finding ways to celebrate everyone. Certainly, the sports teams, but also the arts,
music, and academics. Everyone is celebrated for the extraordinary and the ordinary.” In considering what she has learned over the years, she says, “It took me 30 years to learn how to be vulnerable in front of my students. I know I can be unyielding, but I learned that vulnerability is not weakness. I don’t need to have every answer for my students. In these last 10 years, I’ve learned to ask for help, particularly when it comes to the technology!”
As Michele speaks on retiring, “I’ve always had a strong sense of that interior voice. I listen. It is how the Lord speaks to us. These past two years, it has been saying something different. I wanted to stay one more year for this class of 2024. But I don’t know who I am outside of this. I’m looking forward to cultivating hobbies, traveling to see my 2 daughters, my son, and my grandkids, and discovering who I am. I’ll come around still, subbing if needed and attending games.” She concludes, “These past two months have been gut wrenching. I took the students and schools into my heart and soul. When you are doing this right, you pour everything of yourself into this. I’ve done that for 40 years. I’ve left a piece of me at Billings Central.”
And one final request for her former students, the next time you see her, “Call me Michele, please.” Mrs. Mattix, your Billings Catholic Schools thank you
