high school Archives - Catechist's Journey

Discernment of Spirits and the Missioned Life High School Lesson - text on torn-paper background

High School Lesson: Discernment of Spirits and the Missioned Life

Help teens ask themselves how they make decisions, and lead them to practice discernment so that they can live a life of meaning and purpose. Loyola Press, in honor of the Ignatian Year, offers an introductory lesson on Discernment of Spirits and the Missioned Life. Download this free lesson for high school students, based on an excerpt from Living Against the Grain by Tim Muldoon. For more on the Ignatian Year, visit IgnatianSpirituality.com.

Easter flowers - Mny-Jhee/iStock/Getty Images

Three Mystics Who Exemplify Easter People

Bob Burnham

We are Easter people! That does not mean that we celebrate Easter with a party, complete with baskets and chocolate bunnies (though I love that iconic confectionary as much as anyone). Being Easter people means that we are animated by the same kind of love that defeated death itself. We are people who see Christ still present and walking among us today—in Scripture, in the sacraments, in the works of mercy, and in one another. […]

teens planting a tree - KidStock/Blend Images/Veer

Entering Through Their Door & Knowing the Age Group You Teach: High School

Joe Paprocki

Today we continue our series, Entering Through Their Door & Knowing the Age Group You Teach, in which we look at the developmental stages of our learners. St. Ignatius of Loyola said that, when teaching or speaking to a group, it is always best to “enter through their door, but be sure to leave through your door.” His advice is that we need to take learners where they are and move them to the next step in […]

Jesus: Not What the Church Teaches but Who the Church Lives

Julianne Stanz

“But how do we know Jesus was an actual person and not just made up?” John, one of my tenth-grade students, asked. “I know what the Bible says, but do we have any other evidence?” As catechists we are often asked this kind of question, and it can catch us by surprise. The temptation when faced with a question like this is to offer a standard response such as, “Well, the Catholic Church teaches us […]

Reconciliation - face-to-face with word overlay

The Student Teaches the Catechist About Reconciliation

Bob Burnham

I often wonder if I am effective catechist. Too many times, the ninth graders I teach sit with blank stares and respond to questions with disinterested shrugs. I suspect that many of them are simply counting the days until their Confirmation, because they will no longer have to go to faith formation class. I often wonder what will happen to the seeds of faith I have scattered: will they take root or will birds come […]

Wassily Kandinsky - "All Saints Day I" - public domain via www.wikiart.org

Friends, Not Statues: Three Ways to Teach About the Saints

Bob Burnham

There are many ways we can teach about the saints. We can ask young people to write a report about their favorite saints. We can have the class choose a patron saint. We can include facts about saints in our weekly lessons. But when I think about the way I talk about my friends, I don’t talk about them as if they were a collection of facts from a Wikipedia page. I don’t say what […]

Recording of Getting Started – Jr Hi & High School, NOW AVAILABLE!

Joe Paprocki

Here is the recording of the Getting Started as a Catechist Webinar for those teaching Junior High and High School! Have a great weekend! P.S. when you click on the video, click again where it says “Watch on Youtube” (lower right corner) to find all the segments of the Webinar

Thanks for Participating in the Getting Started Webinar!

Joe Paprocki

A great big THANK YOU to all the folks who participated in tonight’s Webinar, Getting Started as a Catechist – Junior High and High School Youth!!! As always, it was wonderful to be able to spend time with you looking more closely at how we can grow in our effectiveness as catechists. Good luck to all you junior high and high school catechists! Next up is my Webinar for catechists of adults on Tuesday, September […]

Free Webinar! Getting Started as a Catechist of Junior High & High School Youth

Joe Paprocki

This Tuesday, August 30, 2011, I will be hosting a Getting Started as a Catechist Webinar for those who teach Junior High or High School youth. There’s still time to register for this free opportunity! To register, click here. In anticipation of this Wednesday’s Webinar for Catechists of Junior High and High School youth, here is a Note-Taking Handout you can download and use during the webinar. If you’re unable to participate at the scheduled time, […]

Teaching Jr High & High School Youth – What’s Your Advice?

Joe Paprocki

Here’s what Bernie has to say about teaching junior high and high school youth: I am starting my sixth year of teaching 7th graders and last year I was surprised to realize how much my students enjoyed a bit of quiet time to encounter God. With their heavy schedules of school, sports, choir, and other extra curriculars, some of these children are constantly on the run. Towards the end of class, I tried to incorporate […]