by Joe on September 15, 2009
Are you off to a good start this year as a catechist? Please share your comments with me and your fellow catechists about your first session (click on Comments below).
My first session last night went very well, thank God! Today I’ll share some observations about the Engage step, which, being the first class, took about 35 minutes:
- My aide had a family issue to tend to and was unable to be there last night so I was on my own to get things organized. Also, there is a class in my room that doesn’t let out until 15 mintues before I begin so I don’t have very much time to get the room in order.
- Thankfully, our supply bins are now being kept on our floor so we don’t have to lug them up 3 flights of stairs!
- 2 of my students are related to other catechists and both of those catechists came by as I was setting up to introduce me to them…that was very nice.
- I greeted each student at the door with a handshake which generally seemed to surprise and disarm them a bit. I immediately had them sit in assigned seats and gave them each an index card to jot down the names of 5 people they trust. They did not have a moment to breathe before I had them on task and attentive.
- I was assigned 10 students, 6 boys and 4 girls. 3 were absent and one was added so I ended up with 8 students last night. I have to say that they were very pleasant and friendly and I think we hit it off nicely.
- I immediately began by introducing myself …about 20 seconds into that, one young man blurted out a question without raising his hand. I cut him off and said, “I’m sorry, but you don’t talk while I’m talking.” He was a bit surprised at the quickness and firmness of my correction but he apologized and I continued on having asserted my authority very early on. That appearance of being strict was (hopefully) offset by my attempt to be very cordial in my tone as I continued my introduction.
- Next, I had them stand and I explained that we’ll always begin with prayer and that I will say “This is the day the Lord has made” and that they are to respond, “Let us rejoice and be glad!” I had this written on a cue card and we practiced it a couple of times. They did very well.
- I had them pass a candle (battery operated) around and offer either thanks for something they are happy about or a petition for someone who needs prayers. This year, I did not give the option of passing (last year when I did that, they ALL passed!). That went very nicely and they all offered thanks for something or someone and all were sincere (save for one who offered thanks for Jay Cutler, the new Bears quarterback, who had a miserable debut and was more worthy of a petition rather than a thanksgiving!)
- I had them next introduce themselves and share the name of one person from their list who they most trust. Most mentioned either a parent or a friend, many of someone in the class which was nice.
- Next, I mentioned that trust is not always easy and I introduced our song of the week, “From the Inside” by Linkin Park. They listened very attentively, looking at the lyrics that I had printed up for them.
- After the song, I did a ball toss to several of them, asking them their take on the song and why it can be hard to trust. They said that it can be hard to trust especially when someone is two-faced.
- I used that as my segue to move into the theme of the session which was that we can trust in the goodness of God the Father. That brings us to the next step of the session, the Explore step, where we make a connection between their lived experience (entering through their door) and the teaching of the Church (moving them toward “my” door). We’ll explore that step tomorrow.
The one thing that I really worked on this year and I’d have to say I feel very good about, was the fact that I kept them on-task from the get-go and itnroduced another task for them every few minutes. The clear message was that they were going to be asked (told) to do many things in this class and to ”get with the game plan!”
I have to admit that my inspiration for this came this past Saturday as I went for my run in the park. There was a grade school football game going on and there were also a few army recruiters present who apparently offered the older teens who were present the opportunity to experience a 15-minute boot camp. As I ran around the park, I listened and watched as football coaches and army recruiters barked instructions to young people that were followed to a T. I thought to myself, “Why shouldn’t I teach with the same authority?” My tone was certainly different (cordially pastoral) however, my mindset was that of the coach and drill sergeant. I had it in my head that I have no less reason to show authority as a catechist than the coaches or military men that I observed.
Tell us about your first session…how’s it going so far?
by Joe on September 14, 2009
Tonight’s the night! And I’m not referring to the great 1975 Neil Young song of the same title! Tonight is my first religious ed session for the 2009-10 catechetical year! May the “wind” of the Holy Spirit be at my sails! Here’s my plan:
The theme (BIG idea) of this first session is: “We can trust in the goodness of God the Father”
- I plan to meet and greet the young people at the door as they arrive, shaking hands, and handing them an index card on which they are to immediately write the names of 5 people they trust.
- When we’re all present and accounted for, my aide (Lucy) and I will introduce ourselves.
- Next, we’ll say an opening prayer.
- We’ll pause for a half-minute of silence.
- Then I’ll invite them to stand and teach them to respond “Let us rejoice and be glad” to my greeting of “This is the day the Lord has made.” (I made a “cue card” for this)
- We’ll pass a candle (battery operated) around and have each one say something they are thankful for.
- Then, we’ll sign ourselves with the Cross on our forehead, lips, and heart as I say, “May the Word of God be in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts.”
- Finally, they will be seated and we’ll call each one forward one a time and present them with their textbook. (instrumental music in the background)
- Using a ball toss, the young people will take turns introducing themselves and mentioning the one person on their list who they trust most.
- Next, I’ll introduce our “song of the week” feature – Linkin Park’s “From the Inside” and I’ll ask them to summarize what the song is about (the difficulty of trusting others) I’ll say a few words about how difficult it can be to trust others, especially when that trust is broken. Then I’ll introduce our main focus for today, the fact that we can trust God our Father who has kept his promise to be with us.
- Using the ball toss again, we’ll take turns reading from chapter one about trusting in the goodness of God.
- If time permits, I’ll distribute Bibles and have the young people read aloud the creation account in Genesis 1 which is the basis of the chapter.
- Next, I’ll introduce the concept of “sacred space” – each of them will take a small battery operated tea candle and move to a spot in the room that they will claim as their sacred space for the year.
- With instumental music in the background and the lights dimmed, I’ll lead them on a short guided reflection based on Psalm 8 about the goodness of God’s creation. The goal here: to get them comfortable with being quiet for a few minutes and to reflect on the fact that we can trust in the goodness of God’s creation.
- When I call them back after the reflection, I’d like to do a short demonstration of how the goodness of God’s creation is not being shared equally, fairly, justly. (see my post of March 1, 2009) I’ll challenge them to go forth knowing that since they can trust in the goodness of God, they can share the abundance of God’s creation with others.
- We’ll end with a closing prayer that includes the following:
- Read aloud and sign the classroom covenant that our DRE distributes.
- each young person comes forward and signs the covenant and blesses him/herself with holy water. (instrumental music in background)
- Closing announcements: for next week, memorize the first part of the Nicene Creed about how we trust (believe) in God the Father (I’ll distribute a small worksheet with the words they are to memorize). Also, bring in a personal symbol that can become part of our prayer center for the year.
by Joe on September 9, 2009
I provided free Catechist Training Webinars on August 19 & 20 (Part One) and August 26 & 27 (Part Two). Recordings are available for those who were unable to participate or would like to share it with others.
Let’s continue our post-webinar Q & A! To access the Q & A, click on the COMMENTS link just below and to the left. You’ll see a number of comments from “Joe,” each representing a different question from Webinar participants. You can then click on REPLY to add your thoughts. Let’s talk!
by Joe on September 8, 2009
As many of us are beginning our catechetical year, I thought it would be helpful to share some inspiration sent to me by my friend and colleague, Tom Quinlan, the Director of the Religious Education Office of the Joliet Diocese. Tom has written the following piece titled “Be An Evangelizing Catechist!” Thanks, Tom!
- Pray for your children, your families … and for yourself! Pray privately and within the liturgical/sacramental life of your parish community.
- Provide a gentle, firm, consistent presence. Be there early to welcome each participant by name. Strive to achieve respect prior to seeking to be liked.
- Listen to and remember the significant things going on in your learners’ lives. (This presumes that an environment is fostered where they will feel comfortable sharing.)
- Create a physical setting that is comfortable and conducive to meaningful learning.
- Come to the session well-prepared … and thus, more confident and more relaxed.
- Find ways to reach out and connect with parents (or guardians). Parents are much in need of re-evangelization and faith formation today. Strive to bring the learning home for families to continue together!
- Minister in relationship to other catechists. The personal bonds and creative sharing will be a blessing to you and your ministry…and theirs!
- Pray well with your participants. This means:
- Dedicate sufficient time and quality to the experience
- Incorporate a liturgical dimension (including ritual action) that fosters a Catholic sensibility in the children and makes Sunday Mass more meaningful
- Allow them to participate in substantial and creative ways
- Give them the opportunity to encounter the sacred up close and personal…incorporate a meditative silence, involve special items from their families, etc.
- Help them to gain a command of:
- The Catholic approach to scripture
- Distinctive elements of Catholic faith (i.e. various prayer traditions, the Pope and apostolic succession, Eucharist and our sacramental system, Mary and the saints, social justice teaching)
- Remember that children (and adults) learn more, and more deeply, by doing than by listening…and the most by teaching. Use this to find creative ways to make the learning deep and lasting.
- Always strive to make connections that show relevance:
- Between the issues of the day/their lives…and what we believe
- Between what we believe and how we are called to live … discipleship lifestyle
- Teach Catholic faith fully and faithfully. And share your faith experience insofar as it can strengthen the process of learning and integration.
- See yourself as more than just a medium to Catholic faith. The catechist is an embodiment of Christ and the Church!
- Help your learners to experience Catholic faith and community as good news. We learn more when there is joy and humor, enthusiasm and hope.
- Don’t pretend to have all the answers. Be with them on this journey of faith discovery. Try to find answers from good sources, when possible. But also help them grow comfortable with the concept of mystery, the unknowable dimension of God.
- Utilize a variety of learning modes so as to form the whole person. Since catechesis is much more than a strictly academic subject, care must be given to create a learning dynamic that attends to intellect, emotion, spirituality and human experience in proper balance.
- If there is a parish Catholic school, make creative connections:
- Catechist to teacher
- Student to student
- Encourage your learners to be evangelizers, in their actions and in their words, at home and in the world.
- Be open to the Holy Spirit, both in prayer beforehand and during the session. On occasion the lesson plan will need to be adjusted.
- See yourself as a work-in-progress. Engage in catechist formation that develops your knowledge, your skills and your interior faith life in a way that is integrative. Seek out opportunities to grow as a person of faith, not just as a catechist. (Remember to log your efforts that can count toward catechist certification, too.)
by Joe on September 3, 2009
As promised, the recordings for Part Two of the Catechist Training Webinars are now available!
I provided free Catechist Training Webinars on August 19 & 20 (Part One) and August 26 & 27 (Part Two). I’m providing the recordings for those who were unable to participate or would like to share it with others. The Webinar is broken into chapters by theme for easy viewing. The link below will lead you to another site called You Tube for best viewing results.
In Part Two, I cover topics such as:
• Leading Reflective Prayer
• Discipline
• Polishing Your Technique
• 10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Become a More Effective Catechist
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEOS!
