New CCD Helper/Teacher

[franc1sc0]

I have signed up to help my wife teach the Reconciliation class for our parish. I am exited to served God, but nervous since I really dont have any experience. I will start out as a helper for the first year or two and will see where God leads me. I was received into the Church this Easter as a convert. Please pray for me… Thanks!

 

[ExGratia]

Praying for you! I know you’ll do well because you care so much! Trust in the Lord!

 

[SonCatcher]

Wonderful!

The most important thing you can do is pray. These are God’s children you are going to teach and He has entrusted them to you.

I am teaching the same class this year in my parish.

 

[Allegra]

I’m doing the same this this year! Good luck!

 

[BaltoCatechist]

You have been given a great honor.

I’ve been working with 4th/5th grade for some time and I can’t imagine another age group I’d rather be working with. Here’s why:

1. 
   *]Energy. They have lots of it, and you can turn that to your advantage. Quiz-style games and group activities will help them engage and remember the material. I’ve found that “boys vs girls” (as long as your group is more or less evenly divided along those lines) is very energizing.
   *]Critical Thinking. At 9/10 kids are just starting to be able to grapple with more abstract concepts. Your teaching has to be concrete, but you can have interesting discussions nonetheless.
   *]At this age children have a keen sense of fairness and are starting to think ethically. One activity that worked well in teaching the Ten Commandments was to present a scenario and challenge the class to tell me if what the person in the scenario did was in keeping with the Ten Commandments or not, and which Commandment was at issue. Such an activity could help with teaching the Examination of Conscience.
   *]Children in this age group are still young enough to want to please the teacher and are usually easy to get along with. On the other hand…
   *]…they are often eager to be seen as “grown up” and if you set high expectations they will likely rise to meet them.
   
   Some things that I’ve found helpful:
   1. 
      *]When you pray try to mention each child by name, which means you have to…
      *]…know their names. Some kids hate it when you get a name wrong.
      *]When the class gets restless try taking a break and practicing a liturgical gesture (genuflection or the sign of the cross, you’d be surprised how many fourth graders don’t do these right!) or some other activity to keep them from bouncing off the walls.
      *]Be generous with visual aids. When I tell a Bible story or describe what happens in a particular sacrament, I like to draw the action on the board with stick figures. You can also use liturgical art to teach.

 

[kkollwitz]

Congratulations! Take the long view, and see what God has in store for you.