Getting to Know the Age Level You Teach

Joe Paprocki Teaching Skills

V3027074DOne of my favorite cartoons shows a professorial-looking catechist or Sunday school teacher in a classroom full of pre-school children and saying to them, “I’m new to teaching your age group. How much do you know about systematic theology?”

The truth is, if we’re not familiar with the developmental characteristics (emotional, psychological, spiritual, physical, mental) of the age group we teach, we can find ourselves facing some real challenges.

Here are links to some very helpful descriptions of the faith development of children in grades one through eight (from the Finding God catechist manual). Take a look at the age-level you teach or will be teaching.

Getting to Know a Child – Grades 1 through 6

Getting to Know a Child in Junior High

What is something you didn’t know about that age group? What is something that you would add (from your own experience of working with this age group)?

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly
About Joe Paprocki 2742 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.

Related Articles

No Picture
Intermediate Grades

More About Monday’s Class

Joe Paprocki Intermediate Grades

As I mentioned in my last post, I taught my first 4th grade RE class on Monday and really loved it. Here are some more details about the ups and downs of that first class: I arrived 45 mins early only to find out that the doors don’t open until 30 mins before class begins. I’m such a dork! 🙂 For the early session, the kids kind of straggle in over a 10 min. period […]

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly
No Picture
Catechists in Action

Catechists in Action – Len Astrowski Shares His Planning Techniques

Joe Paprocki Catechists in Action, Lesson Planning

In this segment of Catechists in Action, 7th grade catechist Len Astrowski shares some details about how he prepares for his lessons. Watch for the following: Len explains that he has all of his lessons on computer and makes adjustments each year as needed Len shows the outline that he develops for class each week and emphasizes that it is not “cast in stone.” Len shows how he follows the 4 steps of the catechetical process […]

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly
No Picture
Newsworthy

A Sample Guided Reflection

Joe Paprocki Newsworthy, Prayer/Guided Reflections

In tonight’s Webinar presentation, I offered tips for leading guided reflections. I promised to post a sample on my blog for your convenience. This is taken from the Finding God program which includes scripts for guided reflections in each unit. Another good resource for guided reflections is Guided Reflections for Children, Volumes 1 and 2 (Loyola Press). Called to Holiness – (Time: approximately 10 minutes)   We all have imagination. Imagination allows us to go places […]

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly

6 Comments

  2. Wow. This data for 6th graders is spot-on. I was shocked 6 years ago when I first went from teaching RCIA to 6th grade: the kids’ brains were so capable, and actually more nimble than the adults. Information has to be repackaged for them to learn it, but doesn’t have to be dumbed down.

    It just seems like an ideal age for learning.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*