My First 4th-Grade Class: I LOVE IT!!!

Joe Paprocki Intermediate Grades

This evening I enjoyed my first 4th grade religious education class and I have to say that I LOVE IT!!! These kids are so darn cute!

I have 16 kids (8 boys and 8 girls) and I have to say that they were really good: energetic, fun-filled, smart, and cooperative. Because of the size of the group and being in a different room that has desks instead of tables and chairs, I chose to seat the kids in 4 rows of 4 each (on one half of the room), just the way the Catholic school teacher has it set up for her class. It’s a bit more academic-feeling than I prefer but there is a very nice table up front that I was able to use for a very prominent prayer table. This then allowed me to use the other side of the room to set up my laptop and projector to use with the screen that pulls down.

I can’t get over how kids this age are so eager to want to help…that was refreshing and fun. We had a very nice class about caring for God’s gift of creation and the kids had very good ideas about how we can all do that in our daily lives. We also enjoyed a 10 minute guided reflection and I was impressed at how well the kids adapted to this.

I wasn’t able to complete a few things I had planned but I do tend to overplan so that’s OK. Finally, I also enjoyed getting home at 7:15 pm instead of 9 pm! That gives me a full evening at home to relax and to post on my blog about my class while the experience is still fresh in my mind!

Over the next few days, I’ll break down a few more aspects of the class and share a few catechetical nuggets with you. In the meantime, I’m extremely thankful to the Holy Spirit for guiding me this evening and for blessing me with this wonderful new opportunity!

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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.

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4 Comments

    • Cathy, I can’t get over what a treat they are. Thanks for all of your advice…I’ll be sharing about the reaction to the video over the next day or two…what a hoot!

      Reply

  2. Not to argue, but 6th grade is the best!

    Unrelated: this year I’m taping my classes with a little digital recorder. One class in, it’s a great way to self-assess, and will definitely help me improve my teaching.

    Reply

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