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Comings & Goings

Vegas and Springfield on my Mind

I haven’t had much Internet access for a couple of days, but I wanted to say hi and let you all know that I am having a fantastic time at the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership in Vegas. I’ll have pics and some thoughts by Thursday when I get home. Also, I’m happy to share that my brother Tom has been named the Bishop of Springfield, Il, which is about 3 hours from Chicago! http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=36235 […]

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Newsworthy

Doing a Parent-Child Bible Presentation

While at NCCL this week, I am doing a poster presentation about how to conduct a parent-child session on introducing Catholics to the Bible. The poster indicates that you can get a pdf of the outline for the session on my blog. That said, here ’tis! Joe P. NCCL Poster Presentation

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Comings & Goings

Thank You, San Diego!

Many, many thanks to all the good folks who came out in San Diego over the past couple of days to talk about catechizing junior high kids! I had a great time and I hope you did too! Thanks to Mary Jo Waggoner and Enedina Saucedo for their hospitality and for arranging for this experience to take place. Thanks especially to mis amigos Miguel Arias and Luis Ramirez for all their hard work and for […]

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Comings & Goings

Chicago: 81, San Diego 65

No that’s not a basketball score! They are the temperatures in these respective cities! It just so happens that I am in San Diego right now and while it is a beautiful sunny day here, I can’t believe that Chicago is 15 degrees warmer! Anyway, I’m not complaining. It’s my first time in San Diego and it is beautiful! I’m looking forward to speaking to a group of junior high catechists and youth ministers tonight […]

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Joys and Frustrations

Closing the Year

I believe I’ve been paid the ultimate compliment from an 8th grade student who wrote those words on his evaluation: “flippin’ sweet class, Dude!” That’s a first for me! 🙂 I’d like to borrow his language to describe how things went last night: it was “flippin sweet!” It was one of those times when everything went according to plan and, in fact, exceeded my expectations. This was the last class that I will be teaching them (I’m […]

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Newsworthy

Student Evaluation Form

Thanks to the folks who sent me some ideas about a student evaluation of the catechist. I’ve designed my own form which is based specifically on what we covered this year and on specific features of my sessions. Still, I’m sure that you can glean some ideas from this form to design one to fit your own needs. Your feedback and/or questions on the design and content of this form are welcome! Student Evaluation of […]

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Miscellaneous

Inviting Students to Evaluate

One of the things I plan on doing this Monday evening is having the kids complete an evaluation of their experience with me this past year. I often did this when I was a high school religion teacher and I found the feedback very helpful. I’ll have to formulate some kind of an evaluation form for them to use…that is, unless someone out there already has one!!! If so, I’d love to see it if […]

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Growing as a Catechist

Free Webinar: Growing as a Catechist

Facilitator: Joe Paprocki, DMin Brought to you by Loyola Press, A Jesuit Ministry Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:00 – 7:45 p.m. (CST) [Find out what time this is for you.] At this time of the year, many catechists are coming to the end of their teaching schedules. This is a good time to pause and take stock—to engage in a self-evaluation in order to grow as a catechist. In this Webinar, Joe Paprocki invites catechists […]

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Easter

Easter Season Lessons?

Happy Easter everyone!!! I received the following email from Margaret Ann, asking for some help. Hi Joe, I started putting together my next Family Program for the Home Schooler Rel. Ed. folks at my parish. I’m thinking along the lines of the Easter Season Readings/Feast Days – Ascension, Pentecost. I am leaning on the theme of New Growth, Gardening, Spring, Rogation Days (the ritual of blessing the fields – this year they are May 10, 11, […]

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Newsworthy

New Edition of Catholic Youth Bible

From time to time, people ask me about Bibles to use with young people. Here’s a review of the new edition of the Catholic Youth Bible from Brigid Wolff, the Coordinator of the Chicago Catholic Scripture School. A new edition of The Catholic Youth Bible has been released and is now available for purchase for $26.95 in paperback. This edition uses the New American Bible (NAB) rather than the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of […]