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Being a Catechist

When a Class Spins Out of Control

It has happened to all of us who teach. We have a class session that spins out of control. I just had an hour with my third grade faith formation class that left me exhausted. I can blame our crazy, out-of-control class on several things—the weather, time of year, tired of sitting still, a boring lesson, and everything else under the sun. But why was it so unmanageable? What was it that made me want […]

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Mary and the Saints

Called to Be Saints

We are all called by God to be saints. Every year, I strive to teach the children in my parish third grade religious education class that they are included in that call. I explain that the saints were not perfect; they were regular people who sometimes messed up. The difference is that saints changed their lives to live as disciples of Jesus. The saints are examples for us in how to follow Christ. That’s a tall […]

Advent wreath and challenge
Advent

Advent in the Classroom

Advent is one of my favorite liturgical seasons. I really enjoy the many activities that the parish, the school, and my classroom use to prepare children for the birth of Jesus. Our parish has a “giving tree.” We have a large Christmas tree near the altar. The tree is decorated with paper ornaments that list the age of a child and Christmas gift. Families take an ornament off the tree and buy the gift for […]

boy waiting at window
Advent

Waiting Is a Lesson in Advent

The liturgical calendar offers us two seasons of waiting: Advent and Lent. The Advent season of waiting in joyful hope for the birth of our Lord Jesus often gets overlooked in the rush to prepare for Christmas. Children are notoriously impatient (as are many adults), so Advent is a good opportunity to teach the value found in anticipating the big event. We do this by choosing activities that instruct them on the importance of waiting […]

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Technology in Catechesis

Skyping with a Seminarian

As I work through my third-grade religion curriculum each year, I always try to add something extra to help make class memorable for my students. For the past two years, during Vocation Awareness Week, I’ve added a Skype session to our class time. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has chosen the first full week of November as Vocation Awareness Week. This year it falls on November 2–8. I found that introducing my students […]