Simple ways to prevent problems

By Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND

The adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” holds true for religion classes. Here are steps you can take to forestall discipline problems within your class.

1.     Create a good atmosphere

• Children find it easier to learn in a clean, neat, organized room.                  
• Play inspirational music before class and during quiet work times.
• If desks or chairs are unsuitable, have the children sit on carpet pieces or pillows.

2.     Prepare supplies and media before class

• Children will provide their own entertainment if they have to wait for you.
• Preview audiovisuals to make sure they are appropriate and in working order.
• Plan ahead how you will present material that has potentially disruptive topics or scenes.

3.     Remove temptations

• When students have playthings, rubber bands, notes, and the like, take the things away immediately but promise to return them.
• Separate children who get into trouble when they are near each other.
• Provide meaningful options for those who finish an activity early.

4.     Check your teaching style

• Know your weaknesses and remedy them. You might talk too fast, too slow, or too much. You might have annoying mannerisms. Ask someone you trust to observe you and offer helpful suggestions to improve your teaching style.
• A noisy class is the result when you slam books, doors, or drawers and try to control children by yelling.
• Don’t pretend to know everything and admit when you’ve made a mistake.

5.     Be sensitive to the students

• Pay attention to the children’s conversation and moods.
• Be aware of them as individuals and how they are feeling.
• Notice when they are restless or bored during an activity and see if you can change direction in your lesson.

We wash our hands and sneeze into our arms to prevent disease. By taking action to control our classes, we prevent “dis-ease” for our students and ourselves. When they feel that a lesson has structure and balance, they are ready to receive the Good News.

Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND

is a pastoral associate at St. Dominic Parish in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Her latest books are Teaching Catechists to Pray and The Catholic Way to Pray (Twenty-Third Publications). Her website is sisterkathleen.com