Prep for Cathecisis for Confirmandi

[mymamamary]

Hye Everyone!!

Im 16 years old, and i am going to become a Priest one day!!

i was confirmed 4 years ago in Grade 7, and at the Parish we now attend, i was offered the chance to teach Cathecisis to the Confirmandi class. I was so excited and i planning on taking on the offer (this kind of stuff is right up my alley), how can i teach the class, i DO NOT want to modernize it, i want to teach them this basically:

10 commadements
7 Beatitudes
7 gifts of the Holy Spirit
7 deadly sins
Heaven
Hell
Purgatory
6 precepets of the Church
Devotions ( for e.g the Holy Rosary, etc.)
Vocations
12 fruits of the Holy Spirit
Some saints
The 7 Sacraments (in particular EUCHARIST, Confession and Confirmation)
Scripture
Moral Theology (the evils of porn, masturbation, abortion, euthanasia same sex contaceptives etc…)
Apolegetics

This would be my starter curriculum, and i hope that the Educators approve, but, what do you, dear forum readers think?? too much? am i missing something?? and how could i reach out to them, as i want to keep it fun for them, or at least fun enough that they learn, but not modernized and not watered down?? i’ve never done this before, and i will need to learn/brush up myself, but, for my future path, this is a good place to get me feet wet right??

ALL ANSWERS ARE APPRECIATED!!

 

[Nicea325]

Hye Everyone!!

Im 16 years old, and i am going to become a Priest one day!!

i was confirmed 4 years ago in Grade 7, and at the Parish we now attend, i was offered the chance to teach Cathecisis to the Confirmandi class. I was so excited and i planning on taking on the offer (this kind of stuff is right up my alley), how can i teach the class, i DO NOT want to modernize it, i want to teach them this basically:

10 commadements
7 Beatitudes
7 gifts of the Holy Spirit
7 deadly sins
Heaven
Hell
Purgatory
6 precepets of the Church
Devotions ( for e.g the Holy Rosary, etc.)
Vocations
12 fruits of the Holy Spirit
Some saints
The 7 Sacraments (in particular EUCHARIST, Confession and Confirmation)
Scripture
Moral Theology (the evils of porn, masturbation, abortion, euthanasia same sex contaceptives etc…)
Apolegetics

This would be my starter curriculum, and i hope that the Educators approve, but, what do you, dear forum readers think?? too much? am i missing something?? and how could i reach out to them, as i want to keep it fun for them, or at least fun enough that they learn, but not modernized and not watered down?? i’ve never done this before, and i will need to learn/brush up myself, but, for my future path, this is a good place to get me feet wet right??

ALL ANSWERS ARE APPRECIATED!!

 

[Gabriel_Serafin]

Another thing you should include are the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
Make sure you have a basic structure as to how the class will unfold, with the topics that will be covered on each lass on a schedule. You should also review at the beginning of each class everything that was covered the last class.

Also I strongly recommend you use a text book. Here is a good one for Confirmation class and here is a good one for the Basics

Telling stories from the Bible is also very helpful. A basic understanding of Salvation History is essential and how it unfolds with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Have them learn about Abraham begetting Isaac, who begot Jacob whose name changed to Israel. Israel then fathered 12 sons who became The 12 Tribes of Israel. Explain the story about how the people of Israel became slaves in Egypt and how God liberated them through Moses and the story of the Passover.

A good way to do this is to create a glossary of terms and names of people. Such as “Moses”, “The Passover” etc. with brief definitions for each entry. Explain for example what the word “Christ” means. etc;

I would suggest you make the students memorize definitions of words and terms, such as what is Sanctifying Grace, what is Sacrament, etc. Also have them memorize the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Ten Commandments, Sacraments, and more. Realize that using images and illustrations helps the mid retain information.

Once you’ve gotten through half of the course then you can assign homework to prepare for a mid-term competition. The class can be divided into teams and it will be a fun way to engage the students and get them excited.

Also, prepare yourself for the class by doing readings and listening to talks. Here is a good one I would suggest you listen to; it’s short, but it explains the basic role of a Christian, which all Catholics must be well aware of: AUDIO LINK

 

[kkollwitz]

I think you should use a textbook. You don’t have to be a slave to it, but it will provide you and the students a common framework for the class.

That said, I’ve made my own curriculums for both RCIA and 6th grade Catechism. The first thing to do is make a course syllabus: start a docfile listing the date for every available class meeting. Then begin to assign your topics to the available periods. Try to arrange the topics such that the early classes provide foundation for the later ones, just as if you were in a math class: addition/ subtraction/ multiplication/ division/ fractions, etc. Write a brief description of what you intend to cover in each class. This Exodus class description is from a syllabus I wrote in 2010.

Exodus 1-3, Moses: Pharaoh kills firstborns, Nile ark through killing Egyptian. Burning Bush, shoes off, showing respect physically. Exodus 4-11, Moses returns to Egypt: Plagues, Passover (Pesach, Hebrew) Pharaoh (Hebrew: Big House). Exodus 12-13, Passover in detail: killing & eating Paschal Lamb. Sprinkling blood, why? Participation in a perpetual institution.

Once you have that sort of description for each class, show it to whomever must give you approval. Then you’ll need a lesson plan for each class. You may wind up writing each plan during the week before the class. Here’s how I do lesson plans, not that everyone does them the same way:

platytera.blogspot.com/2009/12/preparation-h.html

I recommend buying a cheap digital recorder and recording all your classes:

platytera.blogspot.com/2011/09/catechist-tool.html

Listen to each class recording as soon as possible after each class is done, ideally the same day. You will learn as much about teaching by listening to your recordings as from actually teaching in my opinion. Plus recording protects you from kids misreporting to parents or the DRE what you said.

Assuming you have a lesson plan for the first class, compare it to your recording, see if you are covering the right amount of material- could be too much or too little. Adjust the next week’s lesson plan accordingly. Within a few classes you’ll know just how much to cover per class, such that the students are neither bored nor overwhelmed.

 

[1ke]

Hmmm. Our safe environment regulations require adult teachers. They must go through safe environment training an background checks. Our diocese does not allow minors to be teachers.

If yours does, then my first suggestion is that you talk with the DRE at your parish or the director of catechesis at your diocesan office for a list of approved texts. You cannot use textbooks or materials in your class that have not been approved by the diocese, include videos and guest speakers.

The diocese also offers catechist formation, so you should look into the training available frorm your diocese.

 

[Joannm]

Hmmm. Our safe environment regulations require adult teachers. They must go through safe environment training an background checks. Our diocese does not allow minors to be teachers.

If yours does, then my first suggestion is that you talk with the DRE at your parish or the director of catechesis at your diocesan office for a list of approved texts. You cannot use textbooks or materials in your class that have not been approved by the diocese, include videos and guest speakers.

The diocese also offers catechist formation, so you should look into the training available frorm your diocese.

I agree with all you have said. In our diocese an adult has to be present even if the adult is not the teacher. All teachers, even teens have to have catechist training and they have to use the approved curriculum and books that have been approved by the diocese. The pastor and DRE is the final word on what is taught in the classroom and catechists have to abide by that.