Award-Winning Author Cara Barilla Writes I Pray for My Teachers to celebrate Sydney Catholic Schools

Following her recognition as the winner of the 2024 Christian Literature Book Awards, Australian author Cara Barilla is preparing to share a new work of Christian children's literature, I Pray for My Teachers — a heartfelt celebration of teachers and the many people who contribute to the lives of children within a school community.

Inspired by Barilla's own experience as a mother of two children attending Catholic schools, the book has been created as an expression of gratitude to the teachers who educate, encourage and guide her children throughout their school years.

Set against the familiar environment of Sydney Catholic Schools, I Pray for My Teachers explores the relationship between children, teachers, families and the wider school community through poetic storytelling and faith-filled reflection.

Rather than focusing solely on what happens inside a classroom, the book recognises the many layers of a child's school experience.

It is about the teacher who prepares lessons and teaches literacy, numeracy, religion, science, history and the arts. It is also about the people behind the scenes who help a school function each day — learning support staff, leadership teams, administrative staff, librarians, counsellors, coaches, canteen workers, maintenance staff, cleaners, volunteers, parents and parish communities.

Every role contributes to the environment in which children learn and grow.

For Barilla, the inspiration for I Pray for My Teachers is deeply personal.

As a parent, she understands the trust involved in sending children to school each morning. Parents entrust teachers with an important part of their children's lives — their education, their development, their questions, their friendships and many of their formative experiences.

The book transforms that parental gratitude into a literary work centred on prayer.

It acknowledges the dedication involved in teaching children while recognising that educators themselves are people who need encouragement, support and appreciation.

The story is intended to encourage children and families to recognise the people who help them throughout their educational journey and to develop an attitude of gratitude towards those who serve their school communities.

A Celebration of Catholic Education

I Pray for My Teachers is particularly connected to the Catholic educational setting in Sydney.

Catholic education brings together academic learning, faith formation, service, community and personal development. For Barilla, this provides a meaningful environment in which to explore the idea of education as something that extends beyond academic achievement.

A school can teach children how to read and write, solve problems and understand the world around them. It can also help children develop compassion, responsibility, resilience, respect and a sense of service.

The book celebrates those broader dimensions of education.

It reflects on the role teachers play not simply as educators, but as adults who can influence the confidence, character and sense of belonging of the children in their care.

An important theme within I Pray for My Teachers is diversity.

Sydney's school communities bring together children from many cultural, linguistic and family backgrounds, as well as children with different abilities, personalities, interests and experiences.

Barilla's book seeks to celebrate this diversity rather than presenting childhood as one universal experience.

Children arrive at school with different stories.

Some may be confident and outspoken. Others may be shy. Some may find particular subjects easy while others require additional support. Some may speak languages other than English at home. Some may be navigating challenges that their classmates know nothing about.

The book acknowledges the important role educators play in creating classrooms where children can feel welcomed, respected and included.

Its message of gratitude therefore extends beyond the traditional idea of the teacher standing at the front of the classroom.

It recognises the collective responsibility of a school community to help children feel that they belong.

One of the defining ideas behind I Pray for My Teachers is that a child's education involves far more people than the classroom teacher.

A school day can involve a principal welcoming families, an administrative staff member helping a parent, a learning support officer assisting a student, a librarian introducing a child to a new book, a coach encouraging a reluctant athlete, a religious education teacher helping students explore their faith, a canteen worker preparing lunches and countless other interactions that children may take for granted.

These ordinary moments can become meaningful parts of childhood.

Barilla's work draws attention to these often-unseen contributions and places them within the broader idea of service.

The result is intended to be a book that honours the whole school community.

Faith at the Centre

As a work of Christian literature, prayer forms the foundation of I Pray for My Teachers.

The book approaches education through a Christian perspective, encouraging gratitude for those who dedicate themselves to serving children and families.

It reflects the Catholic understanding of education as a formation of the whole person — intellectual, social, emotional, moral and spiritual.

The book is therefore not simply a thank-you to teachers.

It is also an invitation for children and families to pause and appreciate the people who accompany them through their educational journey.

Barilla's position as both an author and a mother gives I Pray for My Teachers its personal foundation.

Her children are growing up within the same school environment that inspired the work, making the subject more than an abstract literary theme.

The book comes from observing the everyday commitment of educators and recognising the influence they have on children's lives.

For parents, the school years pass quickly.

Children arrive at school small and gradually become increasingly independent. Along the way, they encounter teachers who introduce them to new ideas, challenge them to improve, encourage their interests and sometimes help them through difficult periods.

Years later, children may remember particular teachers long after they have forgotten individual lessons.

That enduring influence is at the heart of Barilla's inspiration for the book.

Honouring Sydney Catholic Schools

At its core, I Pray for My Teachers is Barilla's tribute to the school communities that help raise and educate children across Sydney.

It celebrates teachers and staff who dedicate themselves to children each day, while also recognising parents and families as important partners in education.

The book seeks to place gratitude at the centre of the school experience.

It reminds readers that education is not created by one person. It is built through relationships between children, teachers, families, staff, leadership, parishes and the wider community.

For Barilla, I Pray for My Teachers is ultimately an acknowledgement of that shared responsibility.

And thank you to every person who contributes to giving a child the opportunity to learn, grow and discover their place in the world.

Following her 2024 Christian Literature Book Awards recognition, Cara Barilla's I Pray for My Teachers continues her focus on Christian literature for children while bringing together three elements that are particularly meaningful to her: faith, education and gratitude.

For Sydney Catholic school communities, it is intended as a heartfelt literary acknowledgement of the people who make the school experience possible — and of the profound place teachers can hold in the lives of children and their families.

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