I had a wonderful weekend in New York, visting with catechists at the NY Catechetical Convocation in White Plains on Saturday. The room had a capacity for 135 but folks kept streaming in, standing along the walls or sitting on the floor to join in on our conversation around the theme of “So What? Why Do We Have to Know This?” I picked that title to capture critical question that young people are asking us (whether directly or indirectly) - what does the Gospel have to do with my life? We had a wonderful workshop together albeit a bit too short (an hour - isn’t that always our problem as catechists - never enough time!)

Thanks to all who participated. My apologies for running short on handouts. I brought just enough to handle the room’s capacity…I never imagined we would have such an overflow. For your convenience, I’m making it available here in pdf format.

new-york-catechetical-convocation

As always, if you’d like to keep the conversation going, post a comment or send me an email!

Thanks, New York, for your hospitality. What a wonderful place to celebrate my birthday weekend!

I’ve begun a new feature this year to try to engage the young people through the medium of music. Each week, I bring in a contemporary song to play that is related to the theme of what I am teaching. In some cases, I choose a song that articulates the problem that the Gospel lesson is addressing. For example, for the class that I taught on “Trusting in God’s Goodness,” I played a song by Linkin Park titled From the Inside, a song that expresses an unwillingness to trust. In other cases, I choose a song that illustrates the Gospel message for that lesson, such as this past week, when I played Mariah Carey’s Anytime You Need a Friend to illustrate the notion of what it means to be an Advocate (since we were learning about the Holy Spirit).

How do I find these songs? I Google alot! I often begin just by Googling: popular songs, lyrics, and then a keyword or two related to my theme such as trust or friendship. When I discover a few songs, I go to ITunes and give a quick listen. When I find a song that I want to use, I download it to my IPod and I play it in class through a small docking device I bring with me.

Another good source is Ann Scally’s Web site www.cornerstonemedia.org which provides a subscription to Top Music Countdown/Top 25 Review which evaluates 25 of the top songs on the charts and gives ways to incorporate the songs into your lessons.

In general, I do NOT listen to the music that kids are listening to these days. I’m a classic rock kinda dude. However, I know that music speaks to kids and it’s a great way to “enter through their door” (as St. Ignatius taught) before I lead them out through “my door.” I often “counteract” or juxtapose the contemporary song from the start of class with a traditional church hymn at the end of class which I invite them to listen to and reflect on.

My hope is that I will eventually invite the young people to suggest songs that they think will speak to upcoming themes. Then, I will explore the lyrics (checking for appropriateness) and download the song and invite them to give a little intro to it.

As you probably already know, when I teach class, I like to bring in lots of variety for the kids to make the session very engaging. What’s funny is that, I sometimes end up getting them stirred up! Indeed, sometimes, I am my own worst enemy! When I show a video clip, play a contemporary song, or do a game or activity, their level of energy increases as does the need for me to keep them in line. For our last session, they were on their best behavior during one segment of the session: while we read from the text book, which is, of course, not exactly the most creative and engaging part of class. That does not mean that this was the most effective moment of that session. Quiet students does not necessarily equal attentive or engaged students…for all I know, some of them may just have “zoned out” while we were reading. Anyway, my point is that sometimes, a little voice in me says, “just read from the text for the whole period…look how quiet they are!” However, I would much rather expend the energy to vary their learning experiences even if it means cranking up their energy level at times. I’d rather have them enthusiastic and engaged than lulled.

Overall, Week 3 (last night’s class) went very well. Along the way, however, I encountered a few things that I’m not satisfied with and hope to change. Here’s the run-down:

• we began with a brief prayer and I thought I would introduce the idea of the young people sharing petitions - very simply, thanking God for blessings and praying for the needs of others and/or our own needs. I gave a few examples and told them that we would pass a candle around the group. When they received the candle, they could share a petition aloud or hold the candle silently for 5 seconds or so before passing it along. We began with prayers of thanksgiving and not one student prayed aloud (and there was occasional giggling). I told them that they were being shy and encouraged them to share aloud. Next, we offered prayers for the needs of others and/our ourselves and the result was the same! I commented that they may not be used to sharing prayers out loud with others and said we would continue to do this each week and that I hoped they would begin to feel more comfortable in doing so. I’m sure it’s just going to take 1 or 2 brave souls to break the ice!
• We had a nice review of the first 2 weeks and they did well at recalling the BIG IDEAS…one of them even recalling the word INCARNATION from last week to describe the event of Jesus becoming flesh.
• We introduced the night’s topic: the Holy Spirit and talked about what it means to be an ADVOCATE. We talked about how lawyers, doctors, nurses, counselors, etc. were advocates and that Jesus used this word to describe the Holy Spirit. We then listened to a Mariah Carey song (”Anytime You Need a Friend”) to reinforce the idea of what it means to be an advocate and I told them that many of the lyrics of that song can be compared to what the Holy Spirit wants for us:

Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You’ll never be alone again
So don’t you fear
Even if you’re miles away
I’m by your side

• We next talked about how we can recognize the Holy Spirit in our lives. I showed a brief clip from the movie Ghost that shows people going to a “spiritual advisor” (played by Whoopi Goldberg) who is a con artist. I explained that this is NOT how we Catholics seek to be in touch with the spiritual world. We don’t believe that there is a separation between the spiritual and physical world that requires some mediator (a psychic, etc.) to reach across for us. Rather, Jesus is our mediator and, through the Incarnation, we recognize that the spiritual and physical worlds come together in our hearts, where the Spirit resides.
• We then read from the text book about the Holy Spirit.
• I showed them a TV antenna (rabbit ears!) that I brought in and asked them to explain what it does. They explained that an antenna is receptive to the signal being sent, making it possible for a TV to display a picture (until Feb. 17, 2009, that is!). I talked about how God created us with “human antennae” which makes it possible for us to be receptive to the Holy Spirit - those “antennae” being our mind, will, emotions, imagination, and memories.
• They next went with their little mini-votive candles to their “sacred space” for a guided reflection in which I told them to pay attention to how the Spirit may be speaking to their minds, wills, emotions, imaginations, and memories. Before starting, I needed to relocate a couple of kids whose sacred spaces were just too close to someone else’s.
• With quiet background instrumental music and the lights dimmed, we spent about 15 minutes in reflective prayer, beginning with some breathing exercises and then just imagining Jesus being present with them and talking and listening to him.
• Throughout the prayer, most of the kids were good except for a couple of voices that continued to make comments aloud and or engaged in some giggling (I have a couple of incessant gigglers! Sweet kids but oh do they giggle!). In all, it was pretty quiet though.
• I gathered them together before we left and gave them feedback about their behavior during the prayer and what they need to do in order for this to be a more productive time. I especially talked about the chatter and giggling and how a few of them needed to overcome that.

So, in all, I felt very good about the session even though I spent a lot of energy dealing with typical adolescent behaviors that make this work so challenging. Knowing that these are typical behaviors, however, helps me to feel more patient with them while at the same time challenging them to show more mature behavior. I definitely feel like we’re making progress. I can’t believe that next week marks a full month that we’ve been in session already!

Last week, I mentioned that I had the kids sign the Classroom Covenant as part of a prayer service. Someone requested that I share it so I am happy to do so. I’m not sure who composed it…it’s been in use by the parish program for a number of years. It is not copyrighted so by all means feel free to use it (or ammend it) if it suits your needs.

CLASSROOM COVENANT

I have the right to be HAPPY and to be treated with KINDNESS in this classroom.

This means that no one will LAUGH at me, IGNORE me or HURT my feelings.

I have the right to be MYSELF in this classroom.  This means that no one will treat me UNFAIRLY because I am FAT OR THIN, FAST OR SLOW, BOY OR GIRL.

I have the right to HEAR and be HEARD in this classroom.  This means that no one will YELL, SCREAM, OR SHOUT.  My opinion and needs will be considered in any plans we make.

I have a right in this classroom to learn about MYSELF.  This means that I will be free to express my feelings and opinions without being interrupted or punished.

I have a right to be ME, to learn about ME, about OTHERS, and about GOD.

I look forward to RESPECTING your RIGHTS and MINE and RESPECTING the person’s desk I am sitting at and the classroom I am in.  I will not destroy, write on, or misuse the things at their desk or in this classroom, because I do not want anyone to destroy the things that belong to me.

If you’ve been in class for a couple of weeks already, I have a question for you: do you know your students’ names yet?

Calling your R.E. students by name is very important. It shows that you take a real interest in them as unique individuals. It shows that you care. It shows that you honor their presence.

It also gives you leverage when it comes to keeping order in class. To call someone by name is to have a certain degree of power or authority over them (this is why the Jewish people do not speak God’s name because we cannot have power or authority over God). By the way, did you notice how often Sarah Palin used Charlie Gibson’s name in their interview? She was obviously coached to do so because it lends to an aura of authority, an image that she and her handlers obviously feel they need to convey.

Calling your students by name helps to establish a good rapport - people in general respond positively when referred to by name. (If you watch The Simpsons, you’ll recall that in the famous episode “Who Shot Mr. Burns?“, Homer’s motive was that Mr. Burns never remembers his name!)

Luckily, I have only 13 young people in class so it didn’t take me long to get to know their names. I put myself on the hot seat last week at the start of class, saying, “OK let’s see if I can call you each by name.” With the pressure on, I was able to go around the horn, hesitating 2 or 3 times before a name connected with a face, eventually naming them all correctly. (Of course, it helped that they had assigned seats…if I bump into them on the street, I may not be able to be quite as successful!)

Anyway, I wish you well with your next session and I encourage you to take a stab at learning all of your students’ names. After all, God calls us each by name!

This past Saturday, I was in Greenville, South Carolina, doing a workshop for about 100 catechists on the topic of my book, The Catechist’s Toolbox. WOW! These folks went all out with the toolbox theme!!!

We had a wonderful day taking a closer look at how we can be more effective as catechists. My deepest thanks to the wonderful people who organized and hosted the event and a great big SHOUT OUT to all of my new catechist friends in the diocese of Charleston, South Carolina!!!

Week 2 went very nicely last evening. Here are some of the highlights:

• We met in church for an opening prayer service with the pastor. The kids were well-behaved and participated nicely. The pastor did a very nice job of encouraging the kids to put Jesus first in their lives. That took about a half-hour of the 75-minute class time.
• Two of the boys in my group asked if they could call me “Dr. Pepper” (since I had alluded to the fact that I had completed my doctorate). I told them they could since they asked and as long as they did so with respect. I had to laugh at that.
• Our focus in class was on: Jesus, God’s Greatest Gift. I began by inviting them to come forward in groups to “play” Where’s Waldo? I have a giant Where’s Waldo? book that they came forward to peruse, seeing if they could find Waldo in 60 seconds. It too 4 groups to finally locate him. I told them that people sometimes spend lots of time wondering “Where’s God?” while all along we can find him in Jesus Christ.
• We then listened to Joan Osborne’s song, One of Us, in which she repeatedly (and sarcastically) sings, “What if God was one of us?” I told them that we Christians know the answer to that question because we know that God became one of us through the Incarnation of Jesus.
• We then read from the textbook about how Jesus is God’s greatest gift to us.
• I invited the young people to pick up their mini votive candle and to go to their sacred space (one of the girls referred to it as their sanctuaries).
• I dimmed the lights and led them in a meditation on the Lord’s Prayer. All told it was about 15 minutes and they did well for the most part although I will need to move a couple of them who seem to have moved their sacred spaces closer to one another! There is some antsy-ness that they will need to learn to overcome and I know they will get better in time. Also, a couple of them took to tossing their little vigil candle up and down as they listened to me leading the reflection…I’ll have to put an end to that.
• They seem to be a very good-natured group. Lots of natural giddyness but a sheepish attitude…in other words, when they notice that I’ve noticed some mischief, they very sheepishly cease and desist (for the time-being!).

I’m excited about next week when I once again have them for the full 75 minutes and our topic is the Holy Spirit. Oh, the possibilities!

No, I’m no talking about the excellent Web site www.sacredspace.ie.

I’m talking about creating sacred space in your “classroom.” In particular, I’m referring to the notion of inviting the children/young people to occasionally get out of their seats/desks and to find a place in the room where they can sit on the floor and be “alone.” I tell them that this will be their sacred space for the year and that, from time to time, I will invite them to go to their sacred space for some quiet prayer time.

Providing the young people with this space accomplishes several things. On a practical level, it helps with discipline because it “divides and conquers.” If you try to lead guided reflections (meditations) when the young people are sitting next to each other, the temptation is too great for them to interact and misbehave. When they’ve gone off to their sacred space, you have some degree of “buffer zones” between each student depending on the size of your room. More importantly, it provides the young people with a degree of privacy. Individuality is very important to young people and this gives them an opportunity to experience it. (Of course we need to provide experiences of community to offset the rampant individualism of our culture but that’s another post!)

Today, I’m going to run over to Walgreens to pick up some mini battery-operated devotional candles (advertised as “smart candle tea lights”) - they are on sale 3 for $3. I’ll get one for each student and then, when it is time for them to go to their sacred space, I’ll invite them to come forward one at a time to take their little devotional candle with them to their sacred space…a sign that the light of Christ is accompanying them.