8th Grade Catechism

[fred_conty]

In realestate when selling or buying a house, the rule of thumb is, location,location,location.
In catechism when teaching, the rule of thumb is, motivation,motivation,motivation.

Find ways to motivate them to love and thirst and want what they are learning.
This will make their lives different, fulfilling and rewarding.
It will also teach them to love their faith and to cherish it’s heritage.
An impression can be lasting.

Jesus taught thru parables, made up stories about people and their belief, to teach.
It was an attention getter and aroused a discussion.
Who could do better than Jesus.

The lives of the saints have great stories, and many little episodes in their lives.

The New Testament has great stories taken dirrectly from the master Himself.
And the story of his own life has many examples of spiritual truth displayed.

The Old Testament also has great men and women whose lives tell great stories of faith and courage.

There are many books written today which have stories about people who have had moving experiences thru their faith. Some are about the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit, their successes and failures, the love of Jesus expressed in their life, their children, and even miracles.
The local bookstore has some of these.
Your own experience has some as well as your friends.
By the way, tell your friends what you are doing and ask them for stories in their life.
It will be doing them a favor and well as yourself.

If there is one thing that sums it all up, it would be the Eucharist.
Take a little of that time and each week bring this to their attention, the special love Jesus shows us in the Eucharist. If they develope a real understanding of his love in the Eucharist for them and what this means to him each week, this alone can be transforming to them. Young minds are impressionable, and the repetition of this love shown thru the Eucharist can be most enduring, and cherished when everything else may become a blurr.
There is also a book on the miracles of the Eucharist.

Just some thoughts.

 

[fastenatingguy]

Check him out on YouTube, that’s his bread & butter.

I know Fr. Barron. What an intellect! He was baptized at our parish. He serves Mass here about every 10-12 weeks and really packs them in. Some of the taping from Catholicism was filmed in our Basilica. Our retired pastor is one of his mentors.

 

[fastenatingguy]

In realestate when selling or buying a house, the rule of thumb is, location,location,location.
In catechism when teaching, the rule of thumb is, motivation,motivation,motivation.

Find ways to motivate them to love and thirst and want what they are learning.
This will make their lives different, fulfilling and rewarding.
It will also teach them to love their faith and to cherish it’s heritage.
An impression can be lasting.

Jesus taught thru parables, made up stories about people and their belief, to teach.
It was an attention getter and aroused a discussion.
Who could do better than Jesus.

The lives of the saints have great stories, and many little episodes in their lives.

The New Testament has great stories taken dirrectly from the master Himself.
And the story of his own life has many examples of spiritual truth displayed.

The Old Testament also has great men and women whose lives tell great stories of faith and courage.

There are many books written today which have stories about people who have had moving experiences thru their faith. Some are about the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit, their successes and failures, the love of Jesus expressed in their life, their children, and even miracles.
The local bookstore has some of these.
Your own experience has some as well as your friends.
By the way, tell your friends what you are doing and ask them for stories in their life.
It will be doing them a favor and well as yourself.

If there is one thing that sums it all up, it would be the Eucharist.
Take a little of that time and each week bring this to their attention, the special love Jesus shows us in the Eucharist. If they develope a real understanding of his love in the Eucharist for them and what this means to him each week, this alone can be transforming to them. Young minds are impressionable, and the repetition of this love shown thru the Eucharist can be most enduring, and cherished when everything else may become a blurr.
There is also a book on the miracles of the Eucharist.

Just some thoughts.

Thanks for all the suggestions. It may be a little early for some of them. I just completed our third week and things are improving. Unfortunately, there isn’t a tremendous amount of support yet on the home front. But I did get parents email addresses and cell phone numbers and will be contacting them this week, But not tonight, there is a Bears game

 

[fastenatingguy]

Have you met with the parents? I am a DRE and that is the first step they do before actual class. Of course I meet with my catechists’ before the actual faith formation year commences and explain what I want them to cover at their initial parent meeting. Parents are the sole responsibility of their children’s spiritual and prayer life.

As for your class. Here is where I think many parishes fail and start off on the wrong foot. Many parishes will dive into the sacraments,doctrine, scripture readings,etc,etc. Yes all are vital and should be incorporated into the process. However, I start off by teaching them **WHO IS GOD? **And I mean from K-12 and adults as well. I have found out at my local parish, parents respond much better and grasp a better understanding of our sacramental and prayer life once they learn and understand our God. Most people only know of God on the surface and at times you will be shocked as to how many distorted views and beliefs many Catholics have about God. So my two cents: Teach first WHO IS GOD! Nothing theologically deep,but the basics. I call it Theology for beginners.

Good luck

Thanks, I offered that question in class yesterday as the homework assignment. 100 word essay (two paragraphs) minimum. This apparently is against the DRE’s wishes of “no homework” but we don’t have class next Sunday and they need it and didn’t complain.

 

[fastenatingguy]

I am a seventh grade catechist preparing students for confirmation in eighth grade. You have many issues, but I have fond matters that are only in my Church, as a great starting point while still covering the material in the curriculum. For me, I have clearly found how ‘teaching, teacheth the teacher’!

**Why do all these miracles only happen in my Church? Is someone trying to tell me something? I would pose that question and use the season of the year to interject some of these events. I might bring up the miracle at Fatima on October 13, do your research, **yet ask the question during the session, why do all these things happen to this one Church? Yet there a XXXX more as you do your research for the season,…again, is someone trying to tell me something?

My experience has been,… wow,……yet as the students go home and hopefully have that conversation with parents,……parents may not be able to answer or address the question,…but maybe you are strengthening something that needs it.

Yeah, you have less class time due to preparation for confirmation, I pray these suggestions may be of help.

Thanks and that is on my next agenda, which is on the 14th. It also gave me the idea to pay more attention to the Church calendar. There is a St. Francis of Assisi blessing of the animals this week and some of the kids have pets, so hopefully they will participate.

 

[fastenatingguy]

Yes. I want the kids as close to me as possible, looking straight at me and the whiteboard behind me. I let the kids sit as they like when they come in, but want 2x2 until #5 enters, then 3x3 until #10 comes in, then want 4x4 until #17 comes in. I am always after the most square group I can get right in front of me.

It worked well, thanks for the suggestion. My problem is that two of the girls are close friends and arrive together, a few minutes late each time. So they have sat in the back. But I mentioned to them after class yesterday that their new seating assignment is in the front row.

We use a regular classroom in the school, and we have to leave it as we found it. The teacher in this room always leaves the chalkboard FILLED with her assignments and notes, so I cannot use it. There is no whiteboard, it’s the same school that I attended 45 years ago.

 

[fastenatingguy]

We’re to cover St. Bernadette along with others. Her feast day is not until the end of Nov. I’ve asked that they view **THE SONG OF BERNADETTE **so we can discuss it by the end of that month.

The more they view and read on their own, the better the discussions. There are many excellent old religious movies available.

Fatima has many good movies including the orginal as well as THE 13th DAY. I think the approach of asking why does this happen only in the Catholic Church is excellent.

FOR THE GREATER GLORY is also available on Infinity and DVD. A must. EXCELLENT. **OCTOBER BABY **about abortion and forgiveness is good too.

Thanks for the ideas. I spoke to the other 8th grade teacher and suggested that we have a class later in the year (probably near Christmas) when the kids’ minds are elsewhere. We would combine the class (total of 18) and watch/discuss a Catholic themed movie. But we are limited to 90 minutes total. That eliminates FGG and The Way (which I have seen three times).

 

[aicirt]

Thanks for the ideas. I spoke to the other 8th grade teacher and suggested that we have a class later in the year (probably near Christmas) when the kids’ minds are elsewhere. We would combine the class (total of 18) and watch/discuss a Catholic themed movie. But we are limited to 90 minutes total. That eliminates FGG and The Way (which I have seen three times).

My time is also limited to 75 minutes once a week. The DVD idea is for them to rent the ones suggested and have at it. I want to stimulate their interest. They can watch with their family. I don’t have the time to show a movie in class. Wish I did.

Note too FOR GREATER GLORY, and OCTOBER BABY are available ON DEMAND as well as CATHOLICISM. ( Boy, and if I knew Fr. Barron was preaching, I’d have them go to his Mass). Both are sutible for 8th graders. I posted this in the corner of my white board and directed the parents to read the reminders when they drop off the kids. Also put a note to the parents in their assignment books.

You need a blackboard. Discuss this with your dre. or get a pad on an easel. And my kids get homework too. Nothing taxing. They need to read in their books, search for something (we do a scavanger hunt thing), or watch a movie.

 

[fastenatingguy]

My time is also limited to 75 minutes once a week. The DVD idea is for them to rent the ones suggested and have at it. I want to stimulate their interest. They can watch with their family. I don’t have the time to show a movie in class. Wish I did.

Note too FOR GREATER GLORY, and OCTOBER BABY are available ON DEMAND as well as CATHOLICISM. (** Boy, and if I knew Fr. Barron was preaching, I’d have them go to his Mass)**. Both are sutible for 8th graders. I posted this in the corner of my white board and directed the parents to read the reminders when they drop off the kids. Also put a note to the parents in their assignment books.

You need a blackboard. Discuss this with your dre. or get a pad on an easel. And my kids get homework too. Nothing taxing. They need to read in their books, search for something (we do a scavanger hunt thing), or watch a movie.

I know Fr. Barron a little bit, enough so that he recognizes me from around the parish and also because whenever he lectures around Chicago, I try to attend. And I try not to miss his mass at our Basilica, but we only get a week’s notice. Just like Fr. Rocky Hoffmann of Relevant Radio, who lives in the parish. When they are at Mass, it’s like midnight mass at Christmas–packed.

But I would say that I have attended his mass at least a dozen times over the last seven years. His homilies tend to be VERY intellectual, at the college level and above. It’s the one time that I bring a note book and pen to church . Unfortunately, his message is intended for an older audience.

CATHOLICISM fortunately was produced for a broader audience.

Once I “meet” the parents (either in person or by email/phone), I will have a better gage of where their home life is regarding their faith practice. I did an informal survey in class yesterday regarding the last time these kids attended Sunday mass. The results were discouraging. But we’’ keep the faith!