Classroom Tips

It’s here already!  Catechists are getting ready to start a new school year of Religious Education, and that means breaking out the icebreaker games.

Most first classes typically involve some kind of icebreaker activity to help the students get to know one another.  A lot of these activities involve the student sharing personal information with the class, which can present a challenge for many middle school students who are self-conscious and may be reluctant to share sensitive or personal information with a new group of people.

Still, it’s important for the students to begin to build relationships with their classmates, and we typically start by learning each others’ names.

The following game, is an easy no-pressure activity, that you may want to try with your students.

Names in Motion

After explaining the rules to everyone, have all the students stand in a circle. One person is selected to start (or even better, the Catechist can lead off).  He or she walks into the middle of the circle and states his or her name and then makes a gesture, such as

• Clapping your hands twice
• Snapping your fingers
• Flipping your hair
• Giving a “thumbs up” sign
• Rubbing your belly
• Bowing
• Doing the “Thinker” pose

Countdown 1 … 2 … 3 and then everyone in the circle repeats the person’s name and the gesture. If the group is not too large, you may wish to go around the circle with each person repeating the name and performing the gesture.

The person standing in the middle returns to the circle, and then the Catechist can tap the next person to move to the center and state his/her name and perform a gesture.  Rinse/repeat until everyone has introduced themselves.

© 2017 Catechist’s Aide

The topic of bathroom breaks will inevitably come up, so it’s best to have a policy in place from the start. Be sure to let your student know all of your class policies from the first day you meet and then follow up with an email to parents so that everyone is on the same page.

First, if you don’t know whether or not your Parish already has rules or policies in place regarding bathroom breaks during Religious Education classes, then, by all means, speak with the Director of Faith Formation and find out. He or she may also have great insight into what works or doesn’t work, so take advantage of them as a resource.

My problem with bathroom breaks is the interruption to the class when a student raises their hand to ask permission to go. I have found two solutions that have made this less of an ordeal – for the student, for the Catechist and for the rest of the class.

1. Use a Hall Pass. With middle school students, I have found them to be responsible enough to simply grab a “Hall Pass” that is kept at the front of the classroom, and excuse themselves. There is no need to ask permission, simply take the Pass and go – silently and without interrupting the rest of the class. The Hall Pass is returned to its original position when the student returns and is available for the next person who may need to go. I tell the students that the Pass is a privilege, and as such, can be taken away if it is abused. This process has worked very well for my classes. Abuse has been rare, in fact, most students appreciate skipping the embarrassment of having to ask permission, and thus use the Pass responsibly. Another reason that I like this option is that it gives the student a small bit of independence at an age where independence is highly valued.  A few caveats: this may not be the best option if your class is very large or if you don’t have an Aide or parent volunteer to keep up with the student’s comings and goings. In some parishes (like mine) there are parents serving as Hall Monitors during class time. If you have the same arrangement in your Parish, then the Hall Pass solution may work for you.

2. Have a set time for a bathroom break. This will not completely put an end to disruptions in the middle of class, but it can cut the number way down. The biggest drawback to this option is that you are giving up valuable minutes of class time. Still, it may be worth sacrificing those minutes if it helps to provide a focused and attentive group of students for the remainder of the time.  This option works well if your class time is longer than an hour and a half.

So there you have it – two options to consider when deciding on how to deal with bathroom breaks.  I’m sure there are other more imaginative solutions out there as well. I would love to hear what works for you.  Be sure to let me know in the Comments section.

© 2017 Catechist’s Aide

Lesson planning is essential to success in the classroom, but sometimes plans need to change if you’re not getting the desired result or if things outside your control change.  Always have a backup plan.  Many times I’ve been told minutes before class is about to begin that there will be a 15 minute presentation to all students about the Giving Tree, Rice Bowls or Youth Camp, etc.  This means I now have to fit a 60 minute lesson plan into just 45 minutes.  There could also be technical difficulties, even traffic and weather issues that impact your class, so flexibility can be key.  Be prepared in advance to know where you can shorten your presentation without losing any of the fundamental learning objectives.

Also, be prepared with activities to fill time if need be.  I like to carry a packet of jeopardy style questions that I can pull out if we have extra time at the end of the lesson.  Other things you can do to stretch time:

• Quiz the students on who can recall Sunday’s gospel reading, and then discuss its meaning in more detail.
• Ask students if they would like to share their community service experiences with the class.
• Have prepared filler segments like, “Why do Catholics Do That?” to explain to the class why Catholics genuflect, bless themselves with holy water, say the rosary, use incense, etc.
• If the Church or the Pope is in the news, you may want to spend a few minutes discussing current events within the Church.
• Introduce a new prayer to your class, share its background and history, and then pray it together.
• Teach the students about a saint.

© 2017 www.CatechistAide.com

You may be familiar with the quote from motivational author, Louise Hay:

“How you start your day is how you’re going to live your day. And how you live your day is the way you live your life.”

I’m a firm believer that how you start your class can make all the difference in how that class goes.  Mindset does matter, and establishing a positive mindset that is open to learning at the beginning of class, can help set the tone for the rest of class. So, here are 3 tips for engaging your students from the start.

1. 1. Open with Prayer – As catechists, we should never pass up any opportunity to bring prayer and periods of reflection into the classroom.  Opening class with a prayer helps to set the mood and tone for the next hour.   If the class is large, I generally lead the prayer myself, rather than have everyone join in.  One of my favorite prayers to use at the beginning of class is:
      Lord Jesus, we invite you into our classroom today.
      Bless our minds and fill them with knowledge and wonder about your world.
      Open our eyes to all our education offers us each day, and help us learn your ways.
      Fill our mouths with kind words that show appreciation to our teachers, classmates, and friends.
      Forgive us when we forget that you are our guest.
      Thank you for dwelling in our hearts, our classroom, and our school with your spirit, grace, and love.
      We ask all of this through you, our greatest teacher of all.
      Amen.
      
      Adapted from: Manion, Betty  (2012-04-26). Prayers Before the Bell: Inviting Christ Into the Classroom (Kindle Locations 142-156). Liguori Publications. Kindle Edition.
      
      There are many options for  prayers for the classroom.  You can use the Sunday Gospel reading, or tailor a prayer or verse from Scripture that relates to that day’s lesson.  Feel free to be creative and enhance the prayer by having individual students lead the prayer, light a candle, or read an accompanying verse from scripture.
   2. Introduce the Topic – Get Their Attention – After you’ve set the mood with an opening prayer – dive straight into your Introduction.  This is where you get your students’ attention.  This can be through a short video clip, a song, an anecdote, a Bible verse, asking a thought provoking question of the class, a quote, or even a joke. The idea here is to use something impactful to get their attention, and motivate them to want to listen and hear more.
   3. Tell Students What You Expect Them to Learn – Now that you have your students’ attention, preview the lesson for them.  Tell them what they will learn today, and how they will demonstrate that they’ve learned it.    This can be as simple as saying, “Today we will begin our study of the Apostle’s Creed.  We will discuss many things, but your objective today is to be able to identify the four pillars of the Catholic faith, distinguish between Theological, scientific and philosophical truths, explain what it means that our faith is both monotheistic and Trinitarian, and explain in your own words why God, who is almighty and all powerful, gives us free will.”  The idea here is to let the class know they have a responsibility and lets them know what they need to focus on.

© 2017 www.CatechistAide.com

Establish Rules for Classroom Behavior Up-Front

Let your students know, from the first day of class, what your expectations are in terms of their behavior in the classroom.  It may be helpful to either make them sign a “Classroom Contract” indicating they understand the rules of the classroom, or keep a poster with the rules visible in the room.  Sure, you’ll have to remind them throughout the year, but be clear, be consistent, and keep reminding them until it becomes a habit.  It’s like teaching your children to put on a seatbelt in the car. You don’t just say it once, you say “Okay everyone buckle up” every time you get in the car until they do it without even thinking about it.

Some rules that I find helpful for middle school students:

1. • No Distractions. All schoolbooks, homework, cell phones and tablets, and any other type of distraction (including snacks) should be put away when class begins – items that are not put away WILL be taken away until class is over.
   • LISTEN = SILENT. The word “listen” contains the exact same letters as the word “silent” and when I’m talking, you should be listening – in other words be silent.  There will be many opportunities for you to speak out; when I am talking is not one of them.
   • Visitors to the classroom. From time to time we may have visitors to our class.  When any visitor, whether it is Father, a guest speaker, or one of your parents, enters our classroom, everyone needs to immediately quiet down and give our guest your full attention and respect.
   • Respectful use of the classroom. Other students, or parish groups, use our classroom for various activities.  Do not touch or move anything that does not belong to you.  At the end of class, all students should return chairs to their original location, and tidy up their area. Any trash should be placed in trash receptacles.
   • Behavior in Church/Chapel – Students’ behavior during visits to Church should reflect that they are in a sacred and holy place.  Silence should be observed, and students should display proper reverence by genuflecting before the Tabernacle and bowing before the altar.  Remember that as middle school students you serve as an example for the younger children.

© 2017 www.CatechistAide.com