CCD Class and Discipline

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Hi, I have a quick question especially for those who have been or are currently catechists -

How do you discipline your kids when they start acting out? I am volunteering as a catechist for the first time, and some of my kids can be quite a handful. I can’t threaten to keep them in from recess or something like that since it’s just a once-a-week class that meets on Sundays.

What have been the most effective things that you have done in your classrooms to maintain the peace as best as possible? For context, I am teaching 4th grade. I love them most of the time, but sometimes (as with all teachers) they just get on my nerves! :o

Any and all suggestions are most appreciated.
 
Something I found to help with my Cub Scouts was to have something interesting for them to do as they came in so they didn’t get started goofing off. In my case, it was travel games set in the middle of the kitchen table. They would grab one and it would keep their interest until everyone got there and I was set up to begin. I also had some plastic beads to put on a string/shoelace/whatever for when they accomplished something. They got to wear them during meetings. I don’t know if these ideas would transfer or not, but maybe something similar.
 
That is extremely tough. You’re in a bind, because they are there voluntarily and you want them to keep coming. You want to have a loving atmosphere. At the same time, you want them to view CCD class as a serious thing, not a trivial joke.

I was never the greatest at teaching CCD. But I used to, when I was teaching, have rewards for being good. Like, “Whoever behaves the best during the Our Father gets to hold up the card for the Hail Mary,” and so on. “If you are quiet you get a cross sticker,” and so on. It did work, if only for a few minutes at a time. And these were first graders, and I know you’ve got fourth graders.
 
I hand out “caught being good” coupons. So if I have several students who are not raising their hand, I’ll find someone who is and give him/her a coupon. The kids like getting the coupons because at the end of class, I draw one or two and give them a prize (holy card, etc).

If positive reinforcement doesn’t work, you can put the child in the hall for five minutes and/or tell his/her parents. Our deacon is the DRE, and he’s always around then, so I’d send a naught kid to him if I couldn’t handle it.

Good luck!
 
Same things you do in a regular class-- class rules, name on board & check marks, time out. The biggest two things are expectations and follow through.

And, if they are REALLY bad, they have to go tell the priest or their parents, or both, why they have been sent out of class.

And the biggest threat is that they will have to bring their parents to class with them to sit by them if they cannot follow the rules. Which trust me, I follow through on.
 
=abort73catholic;12695786]Hi, I have a quick question especially for those who have been or are currently catechists -
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How do you discipline your kids when they start acting out? I am volunteering as a catechist for the first time, and some of my kids can be quite a handful. I can’t threaten to keep them in from recess or something like that since it’s just a once-a-week class that meets on Sundays.
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What have been the most effective things that you have done in your classrooms to maintain the peace as best as possible? For context, I am teaching 4th grade. I love them most of the time, but sometimes (as with all teachers) they just get on my nerves! :o
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Any and all suggestions are most appreciated.
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My dear friend,

Having taught for many years, I soon too discovered the problem you speak of.

The BEST solution I found was to have an enforcer with you. I taught while my wife supervised.

Another thing we did [can be controversial] is for grades 4+

We explained in the 1st class that what I am doing is WORK a,d so is what YOU are doing in listening and learning. Workers get paid, so here’s is what we are going to do:

Everyone who ask a question that pertains to what we are covering will EARN a piece of candy [PAYABLE AT THE end OF CLASS]

It was an amazing success:thumbsup: BUT having an adult with you is an essentil in my experience.

Another thing is to OVER_prepare. If a topic is not “catching on”; consider moving on quickly to another topic.

God Bless you, and thanks for your ministry
 
My DRE will give parents the opportunity to sit in class with a disruptive child. In 10 years only one parent did so that stuck with it. Coming once or twice isn’t enough. On the other hand, for most kids being dumped into one of the other classes for the rest of the period usually works. They’re ready to behave the next week .

BTW I’ve only had two kids in 10 years be permanently removed from Rel Ed. But boy were they a disaster for the other kids as long as they sat there and demolished the learning environment.
 
My DRE will give parents the opportunity to sit in class with a disruptive child. In 10 years only one parent did so that stuck with it. Coming once or twice isn’t enough. On the other hand, for most kids being dumped into one of the other classes for the rest of the period usually works. They’re ready to behave the next week .

BTW I’ve only had two kids in 10 years be permanently removed from Rel Ed. But boy were they a disaster for the other kids as long as they sat there and demolished the learning environment.

Kids who interfere with other children learning hurt the entire class. Anyone ejected can repent and come back. In the meantime, most of my sympathy lies with those who behave and want to learn.
 
In each class, our teachers work with the students to create their own rules. But the consequences are the same for each class.

1st offense - warning
2nd offense - visit to the DRE’s office
3rd offense - visit to the DRE’s office where she will call your parents to pick you up for the day
4th offense - visit to the DRE’s office where she will call your parents to pick you up and you are welcome to re-register for the following year.

We rarely get even to the 3rd because nobody wants to be sitting in the chair outside the DRE’s office when their parents come.
 
KCT said:
With local child protection guidelines, an adult can’t be in class unless he/ she is child protection certified.
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If the parent is actually a “helper” officially assisting with the entire class or other children, that is true. They do not have to be certified to sit with their own child. And certainly not to simply be in the room.

Can’t speak for where you live. Can only speak for where I live.

But good point for the catechist to cover before going nuclear.
 
I agree with having a second (approved) volunteer in the classroom. I teach second and third graders and having someone to move about the room, hovering near trouble spots while I present the lesson is invaluable. It also helps that my volunteer teaches in the local school district, so she is familiar with all the words/techniques to refocus the students that the kids are used to.
 
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They do not have to be certified to sit with their own child. And certainly not to simply be in the room.

Can’t speak for where you live. Can only speak for where I live.

But good point for the catechist to cover before going nuclear.

Anyone in the classroom for the whole class period is considered to have ‘significant contact’ with children and has to be certified. If every parent is there with a child, for instance a parent/child retreat setting, then no.

To the OP, ask your DRE what protocol is. Sometimes it’s a warning, then off to see the DRE. With just a limited amount of time in class, you shouldn’t be spending any significant amount of time on discipline.
 
KCT said:
Anyone in the classroom for the whole class period is considered to have ‘significant contact’ with children and has to be certified. If every parent is there with a child, for instance a parent/child retreat setting, then no.
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That may be the procedure your diocese follows, or their interpretation of things, but it is not the case in mine.

YMMV.
 
Thank you for the suggestions! I’ll keep them in mind and adjust a few of your ideas to fit my classroom.

🙂
 
abort73catholic said:
Hi, I have a quick question especially for those who have been or are currently catechists -

How do you discipline your kids when they start acting out? I am volunteering as a catechist for the first time, and some of my kids can be quite a handful. I can’t threaten to keep them in from recess or something like that since it’s just a once-a-week class that meets on Sundays.

What have been the most effective things that you have done in your classrooms to maintain the peace as best as possible? For context, I am teaching 4th grade. I love them most of the time, but sometimes (as with all teachers) they just get on my nerves! :o

Any and all suggestions are most appreciated.
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Nearly every Sunday we study one decade of the Rosary and pray that decade.
Most of the time, I have a sweet kind manner, but I have been known to bring out my “sit down and shut up” personality. I only need to do that once a year. They know that somewhere behind my gentle smile is one tough grandma.

What does help in our CCD program though, is we have four men who teach and are involved with the kids. Two men in the lower grades and two men work with 7th through high school.
 
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