I am preparing 5 learning stations on Jesus to use in my next session. The 5 learning stations are the following:

1. The world of Jesus
2. The people of Jesus
3. The words of Jesus
4. The actions of Jesus
5. The death and resurrection of Jesus

I’ve drawn these 5 categories from the book Jesus: A Gospel Portrait by Fr. Donald Senior (Paulist Press, 1992). I plan to make these available as PDFs for anyone interested. First, I have to finish! Check back tomorrow.

Last night, I gave a presentation to a small group of Confirmation students and their parents at a suburban Chicago parish. The kids sat as a group and the parents were scattered around them in the church. My presentation was on Living the Mass. I thought the kids were very well behaved and I complimented them on their behavior, especially after a very long day.

Afterwards, when talking to the DRE, I repeated that I thought the kids were very well behaved. She said she agreed for the most part but said that some of them were acting immature. I said that I agreed but that I considered it “acceptable immaturity!” In other words, it’s the kind of behavior to expect from kids who are being asked to sit quietly for over an hour after a long day in school and perhaps some after school activities. It’s the kind of immaturity that can be corrected with a glance, a brief word, or a tap on the shoulder. I’m mentioning this because I’m sure that sometimes I make it sound as if the kids in front of me are complete angels. Not so. I am constantly working to correct behavior that is immature, however, 95% of it is what I consider “acceptable immaturity” – not that the behavior is acceptable but I can accept that this type of behavior is typical from this age group and I can address it dispassionately (i.e. it doesn’t upset me…I just deal with it).

So be sure to separate “acceptable immaturity” from behavior that is completely unnacceptable. We can sometimes wear ourselves out and beat ourselves up over behavior that is less than satisfactory but is completely understandable. Part of our job is to consistently remind that kids that certain behaviors are not acceptable but it’s good to do so in a way that communicates the notion that you have complete confidence that they can overcome it and outgrow it.

So do kids in my classes engage in side-talking? Giggling? Passing notes? Making unsolicited remarks? Blurting out answers without raising their hands? Of course. I expect that kind of behavior. I don’t ignore it…I deal with it firmly but dispassionately: I don’t make a big deal out of it and I don’t let it get to me emotionally (although it can wear you down!). It’s simply unnacceptable behavior that is “acceptable immaturity!”

Last night, we had an extraordinary evening viewing a segment of Jesus of Nazareth. All of the 8th graders (5 classes) met in one of the parish “halls” – about 65 kids, 4 or 5 aides, and 5 catechists. Here are the details:

• the DRE had arranged the seating to form 5 “pods” so that each class was slightly separated from the others. This proved very helpful in keeping the kids focused and preventing them from developing a “movie theater” mentality.
• we provided a viewing guide for the kids: 15 questions that would be addressed throughout the video
• I began by asking them what the phrase “showing your true colors” means. One young person explained that it means that, in a particular situation, your true identity is revealed. I explained that we come to know Jesus’ full identity in the crucifixion, when he showed the greatest love any human can have – selfless love. I then told them to watch the video actively since this was not a passive entertainment event but a learning experience.
• We then proceeded to show the segment of Jesus of Nazareth beginning with Jesus carrying his cross. We paused at 15 different scenes and asked the questions that I posted just the other day.
• The viewing, interspersed with discussion, lasted about 50 minutes. The kids were very quiet and the experience was in many ways prayerful. We even paused in silence at the moment when Jesus bowed his head and died, telling the kids that we pause and kneel in silence at this moment of the Passion on Palm Sunday and Good Friday.
• I thoroughly enjoyed watching and listening to my fellow catechists as they took their turns leading discussion during and after the video. In particular, Mary Kay challenged the kids at the end of the video to pay extra special attention to the cross in church when they go to Mass on Sunday…it was a very fitting end to the evening.
• Hats off to the kids who were extremely well-behaved. It was clearly a setting where adults were imparting their wisdom, knowledge, and faith in an adult manner to young adults. The kids responded by acting like young adults (for the most part…when I say things like that, it also goes without saying that there are always moments of kids being kids and needing to be corrected and last night was no different…but it’s nice when those moments are the exception)

This will be a good reference point for the rest of the year…it’s important that kids know the narrative of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and this was just one way of accomplishing that.

I had a wonderful weekend meeting with about 450 catechists in Chicago (How ya doin?) and Austin, Texas (Howdy!)!

At the Chicago Catechetical Conference on Friday, I spoke to a group of about 200 (mostly Catholic school teachers) about 5 steps to dramatically increase their students’ Bible IQ.  I then jumped on a plane and flew to Austin, Texas to do a couple of workshops (about 125 at each one) on the Language of Mystery – bringing catechesis and liturgy together. It was wonderful to meet and speak with so many dedicated catechetical ministers! So a great big HOWDY to all the good folks I met in Austin and a great big HOW YA DOIN to all the great Chicago folks I met on Friday.

P.S.  FYI, the How Ya Doin is kind of a southside Chicago thing. When I was a teenager, the pastor asked me to greet the bishop when his car pulled up at the rectory on the day of confirmation. As I stood there, I realized I didn’t know what to call the bishop: your excellency? your majesty? your immenseness? As I stood there panicking, the car pulled up to a stop and the bishop got out. I extended my hand and out came the only greeting I knew: HOW YA DOIN?