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.

Here’s another catechist in need of some assistance. Anyone have some suggestions?

Do you know where I could obtain a script for elementary school students
about saints to use as part of an all saints day prayer service? thank you,
Diane

Calling all catechists! We have a fellow catechist in need. Ross sent me the following:

I have a particular problem in that I have recently taken over a class of 20 children of different ages. Although qualified as a teacher I have have no previous teaching as a catechist.
I only have half an hour each week to do this. The Children range from K1 (kindergarten) to year 6. Any help would be appreciated - regards ross

Ross, this is indeed a challenge. It would be helpful if you can clarify a few details:

1. What is the reason for the unusual age-grouping (K-6)?
2. Is this a children’s catechumenate (preparing them to receive the sacraments of Initiation)?
3. What are you being asked to do in 30 minutes? Teach lessons? Do a children’s liturgy of the Word? Have you been given a textbook or materials to use?
4. Are there other groupings like this in the program?
5. What was done previously? What direction is the DRE providing?

Perhaps with a few more details, we may be able to offer some concrete advice on how to most effectively catechize in your situation. My first reaction is that you may want to proceed as though doing a children’s Liturgy of the Word, a lectionary-based approach, where you focus on the Sunday Scripture readings and lessons that can be drawn from the readings. Not knowing some of the details of your situation, however, I’m hesitant to jump too quickly into offering solutions.

If any folks already have some advice to offer, by all means, let’s hear from you!

p.s. I have Ross’ email address if anyone wants to contact him personally. I’ve taken it off of his comment to protect him from spammers

Last night was my first class of the R.E. year and I couldn’t be more delighted with how things turned out! Here are the highlights:

• I arrived to discover that there is no period 1 class (5:30 - 6:45 pm) taking place in my room which means that I can get there nice and early each week and set my room up without rushing!
• I have a very large room this year…no desks…just tables and chairs. This made it very easy for me to re-arrange the furniture, create a “horseshoe” with chairs, set up a little prayer center in the middle, and have all of my supplies in place with plenty of time to spare.
• I greeted each of the kids with a handshake as they entered and asked them their names. They were very polite and sociable.
• They had a palpable sense of curiousity about the setting - no desks, chairs in a semi-circle, Bible, candle, and holy water in their midst, lights slightly dimmed, quiet music playing in the background - that seemed to foster a sense of quiet (either that or they were afraid of me!)
• Our introductions went very nicely…in addition to introducing themselves and sharing a thought or two about their interests (sports, musical instruments, etc.), I had them share the name of the person they most trust in the world (the theme of the class was “We TRUST in the goodness of God). They did this without much hesitation, most naming one of their parents or one of their classmates (which was very nice), while one said “me” referring to himself.
• We had a nice opening prayer in which I read to them their “classroom covenant” (which states the rights and responsibilities of each young person participating in this class) and then had them come forward prayerfully to sign the covenant, bless themselves with holy water, and return to their seats. At that point I prayerfully presented their textbooks to them, calling them forward one at a time by name and saying “May you find God in all things” as I handed them their Finding God textbooks.
• Following the prayer, I invited them to leaf through their books just to get an idea of what lies ahead.
• I introduced the notion of trust and played to them a recording of a song by Linkin Park (”From the Inside”) that summarizes the difficulty that young people have when it comes to trusting, especially after being hurt. They were a bit blown away that their catechist knew who Linkin Park was and actually played one of their songs in class! I told them that they probably won’t hear that song in church on Sunday…they laughed!
• From there, I assigned them a couple of articles from chapter 1 that deal with the concept of faith (trust) in God. Half the group read one article (silently) while the other half read the other article. Then, I paired them up and had them interview one another about what they read.
• We gathered once again as a large group and summarized the key points in the articles, namely, that we are called to place our faith in God whose goodness can be trusted.
• I introduced them to the concept of “sacred space” - they each could find a place in the room to call their own - a space that they will use for prayer and reflective reading. Most chose to sit under one of the many tables! They really got a kick out of this.
• As they sat in their sacred space, I invited them to listen to the song On Eagle’s Wings which is, of course, a song about complete trust in the goodness of God (the antithesis to the Linkin Park song). I also gave them the lyrics to reflect on as they listened. I never expected anyone to sing along, yet a couple of the girls started to sing on the refrain (I heard one say out loud, “I love this song!”). During the next refrain, a number of the boys chimed in but in a sarcastic manner. I paused the song and said, “if you want to sing along, you’ll do so prayerfully. If you’re making fun of the song, don’t sing…just listen.” I resumed the song and the sarcastic singing was gone. Interestingly enough, however, those couple of girls kept right on signing and I can’t be sure but I believe a few other voices joined in!
• When the song was over, I invited them to sit quietly and ask God for the grace they need to trust him. They were nice and quiet for a couple of minutes.
• It was time to go so I invited them back into the semi-circle and had them collect the books and supplies. I told them that they had done very well for the first class and that I looked forward to working witht them this year.
• They left with a great deal of energy and, believe it or not, when they were down the hallway, I heard a few of them break into the refrain of “On Eagle’s Wings!” Not that this singing was even close to being reverent, but I had to laugh to myself that I “got in their heads” which is no easy task!

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for being with me last night and for guiding and inspiring me and my students to encounter you!

Here is a link to a film discussion guide for Batman: The Dark Knight, offered by Sr. Katherine Feely, SND, who directs the Education for Justice project at the Center of Concern in Washington DC. The Web site (www.educationforjustice.org) provides print-ready catechetical resources on current social justice issues and Catholic social teaching.

Here’s the discussion guide: thedarkknight08

I came across the following - a nice post on a blog in which a woman reflects on her calling as a catechist. Enjoy!

http://helloself.blogspot.com/2008/08/sunday-school.html

In anticipation of Catechetical Sunday, I’ve written an article that can be used in diocesan newspapers and newsletters, parish newspapers/bulletins, R.E. newsletters, or posted on parish Web sites. In other words, you have permission to use the following for your local needs. Please include acknowledgment of the author and my byline as I’ve done at the end of the article. Let me know if and how you end up using this. The article is also available in Spanish: catechetical-sunday-article-in-spanish

The “Itch” to Teach: Catechists Report for Duty

All across the United States, an army of nearly 500,000 men and women is mobilizing, preparing to report for duty after a summer leave. Many of the half-million or so are returning for another tour of duty while perhaps up to 150,000 are reporting for the first time. Who are these courageous people?

They are the catechists who staff religious education programs in parishes across the country.

As families return from summer vacations and schools are back in session, parishes prepare to welcome over 4 million (Kenedy Directory, 2007) public school elementary and high school students to religious education sessions.

So, just who are these catechists?

They are secretaries, executives, factory workers, stay-at-home moms and dads, real estate agents, construction workers, lawyers, nurses, accountants, firefighters, and police officers. In other words, they are everyday Catholics, dedicated to inviting young people into a deeper relationship with Jesus. They help young people to understand the Creed, celebrate the sacraments, live moral lives, and pray.

According to catechist Pat Solenski (Saint Anthony, Fort Lauderdale, Florida), for veteran catechists, the “itch” to get back into teaching develops over the summer: “Each year as program year closes, I think I can  never rouse energy and enthusiasm for another year. And for the past 26 years, as July closes, I experience an inner stirring for the coming year. Initially, I chuckled at my feeling. Now I have learned to embrace it, and I am confident it is God’s grace moving me toward the challenges and joys of the coming year!”

Director of Religious Education, Maura Sweeney (St. Boniface, Lunenburg, MA) doesn’t have to go far to find a catechist she admires – her own father, who has been a high school catechist for more than 25 years. “Though I have never heard him articulate his dedication to serving as a catechist as a “calling”, I am sure that he feels that it is. Through ups and downs with poor texts and unhealthily large class sizes,he has looked forward to each year spending hours reading up on the topics he will discuss with his students. His genuine openness with his students and willingness to take their questions seriously has lead him to building lifelong relationships with some of those he has taught. It is not unusual to see kids (some now with their own kids) stop and talk to him before or after Mass.”

For some, this will be their first year teaching religious education. “It can be very intimidating to walk into a room for the first time as a catechist,” says veteran catechist Joe Paprocki. “Most catechists are not school teachers and so the idea of teaching the Catholic faith to others can seem overwhelming at first. It’s actually better for catechists to think of themselves as coaches, rather than teachers. Millions of adults don’t hesitate to coach their kids’ sports teams. Well, catechists are basically coaching young people into the Catholic way of life.” Paprocki maintains a blog – www.catechistsjourney.com – on which he reflects regularly on his own experience of serving as a catechist.

“Catechists are not easily replaceable,” says Paprocki. “To be a catechist is not simply volunteerism. It’s a vocation!” Paprocki, an 8^th grade catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago, has posted a brief video on YouTube called “Top 10 Reasons to Become a Catechist.” “It’s basically a recruitment video! We need to get the word out that serving as a catechist is one of the most important tasks that we as lay people have.”

The Church celebrates the vocation of catechists and the ministry of catechesis on Catechetical Sunday, September 21, 2008. The theme for this year, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.” According to Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, “Catechetical Sunday is a time to celebrate the work of the catechist and renew our gratitude for these faithful men and women who persevere in the labor of passing on the faith” (from the introductory letter to the 2008 USCCB Catechetical Sunday resource packet).

Joe Paprocki, D Min, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press in Chicago. He has over twenty-five years of experience in pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Joe is the author of numerous books on pastoral ministry and catechesis, including the best-selling The Catechist’s Toolbox and A Well-Built Faith. Joe, who earned his master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University’s Institute of Pastoral Studies, recently received his doctor of ministry degree from the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, IL. Joe serves as an eighth-grade catechist and blogs about the experience at www.catechistsjourney.com. He and his wife, Joanne, and their two grown children live in Evergreen Park, IL.

This past Monday evening was our first catechist meeting of the year and it came off very well. It was nice to see the other catechists on the 8th grade team as well as some of the other catechists from other grade levels that I’ve met over the years.

The highlight of the meeting, however, was the pastor’s comments at the very beginning. He issued a challenge to all of us catechists saying that each of us, when planning our lessons, should ask the question: “how will the children/young people encounter Christ in this session?” He placed such a great emphasis on the importance of a real encounter with the Lord that I think he made a profound impression on all of the catechists.

I think this is so critical for us to remember. At times, we can get caught up in thinking, “in this session, I’m going to be sure that the kids learn the precepts of the Church” or some other doctrinal formulae. There’s nothing wrong with that, unless, that is, we are teaching them those precepts without helping them to encounter Christ. Therein lies the challenge - and a critical and most worthwhile challenge indeed!

Kudos to the pastor!

Albert Einstein once offered the following as a definition for insanity: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Too often, in catechesis, we fall into this trap.

I was recently speaking with a junior high catechist who was lamenting the fact that last year, her kids were so quiet (not shy but recalcitrant) that it was painful to teach them. They refused to speak, save for one student. I was talking to her about trying to use a variety of cooperative learning techniques and she felt very hesitant to do so thinking that such activities wouldn’t work a with a class like last year’s. Her solution seemed to be to do more of the same…read and discuss (or at least try to discuss).

As a result, we often find very sane people (catechists) experiencing insanity!

The catechist I was speaking with is quite sane! She is very sharp and very dedicated to her ministry. Unfortunately, she, like many of us, are hesitant to think outside the box when it comes to catechetical methodolgies. My question is, would you rather continue trying to “pull teeth” by leading discussions with kids who don’t want to be there (thus putting ALL of the pressure on yourself) or re-direct the focus so that greater expectations are placed on the kids to “perform?” Junior high kids need to take on more responsibility in their learning. They need to be more actively involved. So what do we mean by cooperative learning (I prefer to call it “active learning”)? Here’s an example:

1. If you’re going to be reading a chapter in the text book (or a section of a chapter), read it over ahead of time, and select a number of key terms and/or key people that you want the kids to focus on.
2. Take some small index cards and write these key terms/people on them.
3. Try to come up with enough cards so that each child has at least one, possibly two or three.
4. Mix them up and distribute them randomly.
5. Use a poster board to create a Reading Summary Board or Chart. For example, if the chapter is about the Seven Sacraments, the poster can be arranged in such a way that the names of the sacraments and their signs, symbols, and related gestures are to be listed. These would be the terms listed on the index cards.
6. As you read the chapter aloud with your class, have the students call “TIME OUT!” whenever they recognize a term that is on one of their cards.
7. If a young person fails to call “TIME OUT!” when one of their key words is read, require them to stand up until the next “TIME OUT!” is called.
8. When they call “TIME OUT!” they can then come forward and, using a glue stick, afix the card on the Reading Summary Board in the space you’ve designated.
9. This simply allows you to turn the reading of the textbook into a more active-learning activity that involves visuals and manipulatives.
10. When you’re done reading the chapter, you now have a visual summary to review with the class.

Here’s another idea called “Paired Interviews”

1. If you have a rather large chunk of text to cover in your textbook, divide the class into 2 groups and have group 1 read (independently) a part of the text and group 2 read (independently) the other part of the text. Put a time limit on the reading of the text (always give less time then is really needed to create a sense of urgency).
2. Then, pair up students, one from each group, and have them take turns interviewing one another about what they read. Have the interviews ask questions such as:

• Explain what the main idea of your text was in a few sentences
• What is one quote (sentence) from your text that you would put on a poster to inspire a group?
• What are some specific things your text helped you to learn or realize about the Catholic faith?
• Based on your text, name some specific things we, as Catholics, need to know, do, or believe in order to live as followers of Jesus

These questions can be written on the board or you can create an interview sheet. You can also adjust the questions to fit your grade level. Again, set a time limit for each interview: 3-5 minutes for each interview (6 to 10 minutes total). Each student should record the answers to the interview questions that their partner provides. As all this is going on, walk about, keeping students on task and announcing how much time they have.

When they are finished interviewing, call on some students to report on what their partner learned from the text they read. Take notes on the board about important concepts they touch on. Then, fill in the cracks, so to speak, about anything they missed and elaborate on key concepts.

The result is that the material is covered but the spotlight is on the students who do most of the work allowing you to facilitate.  

LET’S STOP THE INSANITY!!!