Archive for February, 2007
For every class this year, my 8th graders have been sitting in desks (with chairs) that are arranged in rows. Last Monday, I raced to get there a minute or 2 earlier (we have only 15 minutes between sessions to get our class ready) and I carefully moved the rows aside to create a space in the middle of the room. I used one desk to create a prayer center and arranged 13 chairs in a circle around it.
When the kids arrived they were surprised at the new arrangement and asked if it was like this already or if I did it. I told them that this is how I preferred to have them arranged. They really liked it and I thought it created a much better environment for faith formation, especially our prayer moments. They told me they would like it arranged like this regularly.
I don’t mind doing that but it does involve a good deal of racing around before class and I have to stay longer afterwards to put things back the way I found them. For me, it’s worth it because I think that the learning environment has an effect on how we learn and how we behave.
Here’s another simple idea to use to draw attention to the focus of Lent.
- Ask all of your students to stand up and, on the count of three, to point north.
- Inevitably, there is some confusion…not all have their bearings!
- Explain that we can rely on a compass to help us get a sense of direction.
- Make a simple home-made compass. You will need a magnet, a sewing needle, a shallow aluminum baking pan filled with water, and a small piece of styrofoam (2 in. x 2 in.)
- Hold the needle in one hand and, with the other hand, rub the magnet (moving in the same direction) on the tip of the needle about 50 times. This will magnetize the tip of the needle.
- As you do so, ask the young people to explain how a compass works. (the earth has magnetic poles and when the needle becomes magnetized, it is drawn to the north pole)
- Have the students gather around the tray filled with water.
- Place the piece of styrofoam in the water where it will float.
- Gently place the needle on top of the styrofoam and face the point of the needle south.
- If done properly, the needle (and the styrofoam) will slowly and gradually turn until the point of the needle is facing north.
- You can do this several times for emphasis
- Explain that, just as the magnetized needle is naturally drawn to face north, each of us is naturally drawn toward God.
- Point out that in the Bible, the word “worship” literally means to “bow down” - a gesture that “points our entire being” toward someone or something.
- Explain that we are naturally drawn to worship God but that, in the course of a year, our attention is drawn by other things.
- Explain that Lent is a time for us to “turn around” and to once again “bow down” before God, giving God our worship (the attention of all of our being).
- Point out that praying, fasting, and giving alms are all ways of helping us to “turn around” and to focus our attention on God, to whom we are naturally drawn.
I wonder how it is that we settled on the model of one catechist per 12-15 students for religious education.
It occurs to me that if we really wanted to invite young people into an apprenticeship in the Catholic way of life, that we would surround them with more adults. I see no reason why a “class” of 12-15 young people couldn’t be accompanied by 4 or 5 adults.
I know that DREs will say that it’s hard enough to recruit catechists already…how can they be expected to recruit 4 to 5 times that number? The key would be that we would not be recruiting them to the role of catechist as it is understood today. Rather, we would be recruiting them to be a member of a catechetical team, facilitated by one person designated as the catechist. The other adults would be present to help with group work, to facilitate various parts of the lesson (for example, a prayer leader), to help maintain discipline, to work one-on-one with certain students, and to share their stories and life experiences.
Not only would some folks be more willing to participate in the catechetical ministry, but those who are truly called to the role of catechist would not have to struggle on their own to maintain the attention of 15 (and, in many cases more) students.
Reactions? Thoughts?
I’m a firm believer in doing short transitional activities (3-5 minutes) in religious education that engage the students and act as segues into the “meat” of the lesson. They act as attention-getters or “hooks” that make a connection for the students. Here’s an example of one such activity that can be used to introduce the season of Lent:
Select 4 or 5 students and hand each of them some paper plates, paper cups, and plastic ware (or anything else that is unbreakable and lightweight) so that their hands are full. Then, bring out a foam ball and begin playing catch with the entire class, randomly throwing to various students, including those with their hands full. Observe how they attempt to catch the ball with their hands full. After a number of tosses, point out how difficult it is to catch the ball if our hands are full. Explain that, in a similar way, it is very difficult for us to receive God’s grace if we are holding on to sin. Point out that, during Lent, we practice letting go of things (i.e. fasting, giving things up) as a way of opening our hearts to receiving God’s grace.
I get the feeling that Barack Obama must have read my February 5 post about HOPE! In his announcement about running for president, he latched onto HOPE as his theme, saying (in reference to Abraham Lincoln)…
“The life of a tall, gangly, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible,” Obama said. “He tells us that there is power in words. He tells us that there is power in conviction. That beneath all the differences of race and region, faith and station, we are one people. He tells us that there is power in hope.”
As catechists, we already know this. This is what we try to proclaim to our students. There is power in words, most especially in God’s Word. And there is power in actions that proclaim hope to those in despair. Our call to practice works of mercy is rooted in our call to proclaim hope to those who are on the doorstep of despair. Hope is not an empty vague notion of wishing that things will get better. It is an undying conviction that new life IS in our midst.
Our young people need hope, and as catechists, it is our responsibility to make sure they hear Jesus’ message of faith, hope, and love in every one of our lessons.
May we continue to spread hope through the comments, insights, and suggestions we share here in this blog! Who is an undying source of hope for you in your life?
To bless someone is to communicate one’s life, strength, and authority to another. To be blessed by God is to share in God’s life, strength, and authority. In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Luke’s version of the Beatitudes (Luke 6:17, 20-26) in which Jesus describes those human conditions in which God’s life, strength, and authority are truly found.
As catechists, we need to remind those we teach that they are blessed by God - through Baptism, they share in God’s life, strength, and authority. When humans bless other humans, it is a way of communicating our deepest desire that they continue to be filled with God’s life. Without this reassurance, people seek “life” in all the wrong places, usually in material goods (”Woe to you who are rich…”). To be blessed is to be fortunate. Let’s remind those we teach how fortunate they are to have God’s life, strength, and authority. Let’s re-capture the art of blessing and bless our students this week, reminding them that they are fortunate to share in God’s life - a treasure far more valuable than any earthly riches.
We can pray a blessing over our students. We can trace the Sign of the Cross with our thumb on their foreheads as they are leaving. Any other suggestions for how we can bless those we teach?
I’m sure you’re familiar with Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (if not, I highly recommend it!). Well, tonight I’m speaking to catechists at a neighboring parish and I’ve decided to focus on 7 habits of highly effective catechists. I firmly believe that the most effective catechists excel in the following areas:
- Ongoing formation - they never stop learning about and growing in their faith.
- Planning and Preparation - they prepare their lessons thoroughly and prayerfully.
- Creating a Learning Environment - they create a learning space that is conducive to faith formation.
- Using Engaging Activities - they know how to make their learners active, not passive.
- Maintaining Discipline - they know how to keep order.
- Leading Prayer - they not only include prayer in their lessons but create a climate of prayer that pervades their lessons.
- Positive Presence - they utilize skills that command attention and encourage participation.
I look forward to having a good discussion about each of these habits as we share ideas about how to be more effective in our ministry. Which habit is your strength? Which would you like to improve?
For many kids, religious education feels like just one more thing on their busy schedules. They hurry through their school day shuffling from class to class, race to extracurricular activities, squeeze in a meal (probably fast-food), and get dropped off at religious education classes where they are usually met with a flurry of announcements and activity. And here we are, as catechists, trying to get them to suddenly come face to face with the issue of their eternal salvation! It’s no wonder we (and they) experience some degree of frustration!
I propose that catechists dedicate a small chunk of time at the start of class to transition. Consider having the lights turned low and some inspirational music on as they enter. When everyone is in place and you’ve greeted the group, invite them to a short period of silence and stillness. Have a bowl of holy water on your prayer table and invite them one at a time to come forward and to bless themselves. Ask if anyone has any needs or people they would like to pray for and then pray a brief opening prayer together such as the Lord’s Prayer or a Hail, Mary. All told this can be done in 5 or 10 minutes. You may feel that you have so little time already that you can’t devote another 5 or 10 minutes to transition. However, if it makes the remainder of your time more effective, it will be worth it.
An interesting note to end on: Fr. Bob Barron, author, theologian, and speaker, points out that, when entering a medieval cathedral, one would first encounter frightening gargoyles on the outside reminding us of the evils that we confront in the world and must be protected from; upon entering, one would suddenly be enshrouded in a dark foyer making it very difficult to see - one would literally have to pause for a moment of transition for their eyes to adjust; finally one would enter the cathedral and be met with dazzling colorful stained-glass windows and images/icons of saints and celestial beings. The architects of these cathedrals knew that people need transition when attempting to become more cognizant of the spiritual. In some small ways, we catechists can do the same for our young people in religious education.
It occurred to me last night after class that we want our students to remember SO MANY things in religious education, that I wonder sometimes if they remember anything! Our lessons have numerous learning outcomes/objectives, vocabulary words, names of saints and holy people, doctrinal formulae, and so on, not to mention the myriad of announcements and interruptions that occur on any given night. And all this, after the kids have been bombarded by tons of information throughout the day from so many different sources!
Not to fret…I turned to my friend Bret! Bret Nicholas is a talented author, marketing expert, and former Sunday school teacher who recently offered this advice about marketing which, I firmly believe, can be applied to proclaiming the Gospel:
“I often talk about giving the customer or prospect ONE good reason to buy from you. After all, the common expression is “Give me one good reason why I should…” not “Give me eight good reasons why I should…” If given too much information, the mind gets confused and doesn’t know what to focus on. As a result, it focuses on nothing. Remember, when you communicate everything, you are really communicating nothing. So give them ONE good reason!”
Author and curriculum expert Grant Wiggins talks about selecting “the enduring understandings that will anchor” your lesson (Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, ASCD). He calls these the “big ideas” that students should remember even if they’ve forgotten many details. By identifying the “big idea” we clarify the most important thing about our topic and why it should matter to our students.
This does not mean ignoring the details, but rather, making sure that they reinforce the big idea. Personally, I feel that unless I can explain precisely what my lesson is about and that it is of urgent need for my students, I have no business presenting it as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, I often prepare my lessons by imagining my most difficult student saying, “Give me one good reason why I should pay attention tonight!”
Today’s Parish Minister Magazine has published an article of mine on their Website:
http://www.todaysparishminister.com/Bonus/15WaysMoreCatholic.php
The article is about Catholic identity and how any Catholic institution,
especially the parish, can make any gathering of Catholics “more Catholic.”
Enjoy!
