Classroom Tips

To achieve the benefits outlined last week, we must follow some basic guidelines for successful group discussions in the classroom. Giving students the floor to freely discuss any subject without guidelines or ground rules can quickly lead to chaos. Quality group discussions don’t just happen; they require thoughtful planning and preparation. Here then, are guidelines for successful group discussions to try in your classroom.

Plan Your Outcome

Start your planning with determining what it is that you want the students to take away from the discussion.  For example, if your lesson is about the fall of man, then you might wish to focus the discussion on how we can easily succumb to the sin of pride. You might begin with questions that allow students to identify prideful words or actions of historical or celebrity figures. Subsequent questions would switch the focus to potential areas of personal pride. The takeaway lesson might be “It’s easy to see the pride in others but spotting it in ourselves requires self-examination.”

Generate Interest

Introduce the topic via a short video or song, a Bible story or parable, or just a question. This is an opportunity to get the students’ attention and generate interest in the discussion that will follow. In our previous example of a lesson on the fall of man, you might want to begin with a YouTube video of Muhammad Ali’s famous “Rumble in the Jungle” speech. Keep in mind that you would need to set up the video with some context for Generation Z.

Use Handouts

A worksheet gives students an opportunity to quietly read, reflect and answer questions before the discussion begins. Handouts also provide a roadmap for the discussion. Try to incorporate questions that solicit opinions where there is no right or wrong answer. These are usually better suited to getting the conversation started, since no one is worried about answering incorrectly. The purpose of the discussion is to connect the lesson to the students’ everyday life. So, following our previous example, we might begin with questions like, “In the video we just watched, which of the claims made by Muhammad Ali might lead a person to believe he is proud?” Follow up with more thought-provoking questions. You could list examples and ask students to identify whether each represents healthy or excessive pride.

Establish Boundaries

These are deal breakers as far as I’m concerned.  The class needs to understand that group discussions will only happen when done so respectfully.  Be sure to articulate these rules before beginning the discussion.

• No one will be forced to talk, but all are expected to participate. Some students may not feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, and that’s okay. However, everyone in the group is expected to complete the handout, and if they’re not sharing, they need to be listening.
• No judgment zone. We are here to discuss and gain insight, not to put each other down or call people out. We don’t have to agree with one another about everything, but personal attacks or jabs will not be tolerated.
• Only one person speaks at a time. This is simple common courtesy. Every person in the group deserves to be heard
• Stay on subject. Discussions can veer off-subject rapidly. This can be a distraction, in which case you want to shut down the discussion and steer it back to the subject at hand. Then again, if this is something the students are genuinely concerned about, it may warrant further or future discussion.
• Questions are always welcome. Assuming that time permits, you can encourage students to ask questions, as this promotes further dialogue.

Incorporate Scripture

As Catechists, we should refer to Scripture whenever possible.  In our example of a discussion about the sin of pride, you might ask the students to read the Magnificat (Luke 1: 46-55).  Mary is the model of humility. Even after learning that she was to be the mother of our Savior, she remained a humble servant. Ask the students to point to specific instances in the passage where the Blessed Mother expresses her humility. Including Scripture helps to reinforce that students should look to Scripture for answers to questions they have.

Group Size

One final, but important, consideration – your class size. If you class is large, consider breaking into smaller groups, so that every student can share in the discussion. You can ask adult volunteers to pitch in as group leaders. This is a great way to get parents or your parish Youth Minister involved.

With proper planning, your group discussions will get your students thinking and talking about their faith life.

© 2018 Catechist’s Aide

As a Middle School Catechist, I have found group discussions to be one of the most effective teaching tools. If you haven’t considered leading a group discussion in your classroom, here are 5 reasons you should.

Encourages Dialogue

These days religion can be a touchy subject to bring up, even among adults. It’s especially true for middle school students, who tend to be socially insecure. They might avoid bringing up topics which they perceive would set them apart from the crowd. Discussion groups give students an opportunity to discuss important issues of faith with their peers without singling them out.  There is also the hope that, as they become more at ease participating in these discussions, they will feel comfortable discussing such topics outside of the classroom. For many young teens, group discussions become the first step in articulating their faith to themselves and others.

Engages Students

I know that I get tired of the sound of my voice.  So, I imagine my students aren’t keen on hearing me talk for an hour or more each week. A class filled with only instruction can lead to students who are at worst, completely zoned out, or at best, merely going through the motions. Adding group discussions can bring new energy into the classroom.  Hearing another voice – especially one of their peers – can result in engaging the students in a way that I can’t do on my own.

Demonstrates Community

The essence of the Catholic faith is communion. God gave us the Church because He wanted us to be redeemed together, not alone.  God himself, in the Trinity, is a communion – an eternal relationship of love.  We, who are made in His image, are made for relationship, not only with our Creator but with each other. These discussion groups, in a small way, help to demonstrate the importance of community, and how we are to advance the kingdom of God – together.

Provides Feedback

I sometimes question how much of the material presented in class students retain. Group discussions provide useful feedback for the Catechist, such as how much of the information students are picking up. More importantly, it allows the Catechist to see the degree of students’ understanding.  Group discussions also provide feedback for the student, by communicating the ideas or information from the lesson that are most important.

Makes a Connection

Thoughts about Faith, Church, or God may seldom enter into our students’ minds outside of Sunday Mass or Religious Ed class. Group discussions give students an opportunity to realize that their faith life extends beyond the confines of the Church building. This is the greatest gift that we, as Catechists, can bring to our students. Connecting the lesson with their personal lives helps students see that what they learn in the classroom has a real-life application.  It’s similar to what St. James said in his epistle:

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.  (James 1: 22-25)

There are many other benefits to group discussions. It can help students develop confidence when speaking in groups, teaches them that their thoughts and opinions have value, helps them appreciate that not everyone shares their view, and provides an opportunity to learn how to disagree with someone respectfully. With all these benefits, I hope you will give group discussions a try in your class this year. Be sure to check back next week for the keys to making your group discussions successful.

© 2018 Catechist’s Aide

I am beginning to prepare class lessons for the next session of Religious Education at my local Parish. As part of that process, I must remind myself that the students we teach are not all at the same point in their faith journey, and this can make engaging students in Catechesis more difficult. While it would be a joy to teach a class where every student regularly attends Mass, receives the Sacraments, and already knows how to find a Scripture passage in the Bible, it’s important to remember that many do not. Even for those who do, some may be simply going through the motions and aren’t really engaged when it comes to their faith life.  With adolescents, we have an additional hurdle – that things can change quickly – a student may be fully engaged one week and disconnected the next. This can make our jobs as Catechists a bit more challenging.  It can also lead to frustration, so it’s important to recognize that we may not reach every student, every class. I used to say, “Sometimes all we can do is plant the seed and hope it grows.” But, honestly, we can do better than that, and it starts with meeting our students where they are in their faith journey and walking with them to a fuller life of faith.

There’s Faith and then there’s faith

I use the term faith “journey” because that’s what faith really is – a journey.  There’s Faith and then there’s faith.  The same word has two different meanings.  The first Faith is God’s Revelation – what He has revealed to us and what we believe. It is one of the Theological Virtues – a supernatural gift given to us by God. The second faith is our personal, free response to Revelation.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), in article 162, explains that our faith is not static, and requires perseverance to grow,

“Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: “Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith.”⁴⁴ To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith;⁴⁵ it must be “working through charity,” abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church.⁴⁶ “

Remembering that faith is a journey, and recognizing that journeys don’t always follow a straight, direct path, can help us to be patient with the process of Catechesis. We are called to teach the way that Christ himself did – with love, with truth and compassion, and by example. Perhaps most importantly, Jesus met people where they were in life and taught them by speaking to their own life experiences. This can be our most effective tool as a Catechist – to meet our students where they are, not only in their faith journey but in their life experiences.  So how do we do that?  Here are 5 Rules of Engagement for Every Catechist to help you reach your students by using the same tools that Jesus did.

5 Rules of Engagement

Use storytelling

Just as Jesus used parables to teach the people of His time, we can incorporate relevant stories or local/current events to frame the lessons we are teaching.  This also presents an opportunity to share our personal stories from our adolescence, and how those experiences ultimately led to an increase of faith.

Ask questions

Asking our students to respond with their own thoughts and opinions not only validates that what they think has value, but it helps to open a topic for more probative discussion and reflection.  As part of adolescence, our young teens are already beginning to question many things. It’s important to remember that questioning does not necessarily mean a diminution of faith, but in fact can lead to an increase of faith.

Speak with authority – use God’s Word

Include Scripture in every class. Earlier this year, GQ Magazine included the Bible on a list of “21 Books You Don’t Have to Read.” Despite this foolish advice, the Bible continues to be relevant, timeless, and above all, the inspired Word of God! Use of Scripture in the classroom reinforces to students where they can and should look for the ultimate and trusted authority on any question or issue.

Get to know your students

Knowing what your students are interested in, what’s important to them, and what concerns them, will help you create more engaging lessons and activities for them.  Taking a genuine interest in each of your students also reinforces that they have value and are worthy of dignity and respect.

Lead by example; practice what you preach

If we want to teach our students that we should display reverence for the Holy Bible, then we should treat our Holy Bibles with reverence. If we want to teach our students that by making the Sign of the Cross we convey the very essence of our faith, then we should make the Sign of the Cross in a reverent and purposeful manner – not like we are swatting a fly. Our students will learn more about God by our actions than by anything we say to them in the classroom.

Lastly, it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that we need to pray. Before class, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and to help you be a true witness to your students. An example of a prayer that I have found helpful can be found here. When class begins, we are presented with another prayer opportunity. Prayer can be an effective tool for setting the tone before class, so pray together. Ask that the minds of your students be open and receptive. You might want to include the following prayer (or something similar) as part of the opening prayer for each class.

Heavenly Father, You hold each of us in your loving hands. Come fill our hearts, minds and bodies afresh with hope. Help us to cast our worries upon you, so that we can embrace our learning today. Bless us as we study and grow together. Come and anoint those who teach and tutor us to be bringers of insight and knowledge. Lord, watch over us all, keep us safe within your Almighty hand.   Amen.

© 2018 Catechist’s Aide

New parents quickly realize that babies need established routines, and as our children grow, the need for consistency and routine does not go away. Setting naptimes, bath time, bedtimes, meal times, as well as time to study or do homework, brings a predictable element to their day and helps to develop a sense of security and stability in a child. Maintaining a predictable routine has been found to be instrumental in limiting behavioral problems for children, and can greatly reduce stress for parents as well.

In the classroom, the need for establishing and maintaining routine is also critical. As a Catechist, I have found that routine in the classroom provides significant benefits making the 1 hour and 15 minutes of class time we spend together each week much more productive, and frankly more enjoyable.

3 Benefits of Establishing a Routine in the Classroom

Makes Lesson Planning Easier

For the Catechist, knowing the routine helps when it comes to lesson planning. The routine virtually leads me step by step through the process. It serves as my outline, and I can fill in the blanks with material, activities, bible study, prayers, etc. I have always loved being a Catechist, but to be completely honest, much of my initial experience had been frustrating because of my own disorganization and inability to control the classroom. The first time I was able to plan a lesson and then have it play out in the classroom as planned was exhilarating, and a big boost to my confidence.

Fewer Distractions and Saves Time

A good routine helps to limit student movement in the classroom, or at least direct it where you want it to go. When your students know what they are supposed to be doing at any given time, there will naturally be less distractions, resulting in less time wasted explaining and re-explaining things to them. When someone comes in late they are easily able to jump right in without distracting the rest of the class. When someone needs to leave early, there should be a routine for that as well so as to minimize disruption.

Students are Focused and Engaged

A predictable routine will allow students to quickly become well-versed in the flow of the class, and what comes next. This creates an environment where it’s easier for them to focus and be engaged in the lesson, making it easier for them to learn.

One word of caution – change can happen when you least expect it. A few weeks ago my class was assigned a different room to meet in because our regular classroom was not available. This one little divergence from our established routine was enough to cause considerable chaos. The chairs were set up differently so, no one was sure where to sit, I generally use an overhead projector which has cues for the students, and I didn’t have access to that kind of technology in the new room. I had underestimated and was unprepared for how a change in our physical setting could throw our class into disorder and confusion. The resulting class was not the best experience, but it taught me the importance of having a backup plan!

© 2018 Catechist’s Aide