Confirmation Intensives – Learning Stations

One of the challenges we have faced with our 8th grade schedule is combining the general curriculum/textbook with the Confirmation preparation curriculum/textbook while doing justice to both of them. This year, we’re trying something new.

Typically our classes are 75 minutes long. Of course, it never feels like we have enough time. And, as our DRE can attest to, it’s simply not that easy to increase times across the board. So, instead, we are trying a different approach. We selected 5 dates out of the regular 8th grade calendar and designated them as Confirmation Intensives that will be 2 hours in length. This is equal to adding 3 extra sessions to the calendar.

Our challenge now is to make sure that those 2-hour sessions are engaging and substantive. Our 8th grade team is meeting with our DRE on Monday evening to plan out the first intensive scheduled for December. We’re learning toward a plan that utilizes learning stations so that the kids have a chance to move around instead of sitting still for 2 hours. I’ll let you know what we come up with.

About Joe Paprocki 2758 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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