We all have worth

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

How well we manage our classroom is a good indicator of how well we will do in our ministry as a catechist. Our role has four parts:

1. We educate...

Teaching our Catholic beliefs

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

As catechists, the best tools we have to guide and assist us in passing on the doctrines of our Catholic tradition are religion textbooks for the students and a teacher’s guide or manual. In most of the contemporary programs the...

Real ways to share the faith

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Q. My students know all about popular cultural icons and amazing professional athletes. They want to be like them. How can I help them know the saints in the same way?

How blogging can make you a better catechist

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

As a catechist, I like to explore new technology to see how it might enhance my ministry. After all, I’m always looking for good ways to build up my tool kit. Sometimes I like to explore older tools to see how I...

The 6 Building Blocks of Catechesis

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT

On the first day of school, a teacher was glancing over the list of children when she noticed a number after each name, such as 154, 136, or 142.

“Wow! Look at these IQs,” she said. “What a terrifi...

3 secrets for starting off right

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Thank you for answering the call to hand on the faith to the children in your parish. It’s no small job, but it can be very rewarding and uplifting. The beginning of your year sets the tone for the entire year, so w...

Worth Watching July/August 2011

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Looking for something fun to watch during the summer? We have some ideas for you to relax and unwind after long summer days. Worth Watching has always been a popular column for our sister publication, Catholic Digest, and they...

7 ways to capture and hold their attention

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT

A second-grade teacher once gave a marvelous lesson on the Eucharist. Sadly, it was wasted on half the children because they continued to work on an activity sheet distributed before class. As this teacher soon learned, it is imperative to have th...

Time to take stock!

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Here you are in the middle of the year and perhaps feeling discouraged about your teaching efforts so far. You might even be asking, "Is any of this worth it?" and "What am I really accomplishing?" If you are struggli...

How to email your Wordle

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:00:00 GMT

In the January issue of RTJ's Creative Catechist, we highlighted an online program called “Wordle” that creates word clouds.

Ideally, students could capture their Wordle and email i...

Simple ways to prevent problems

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT

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. &a...

When the problem is not behavior

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Catechists, like classroom teachers, are encountering more and more children who have difficulty learning in the “traditional” manner. This is often the result of ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Children in you...

A space to grow holy

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

You’ve survived the hectic beginning-of-the-year! Now it’s time to think about ways to make your classroom a holy space that will help those you teach experience God in new ways. Having a prayer space in your teaching area is t...

Reflections from a catechist

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Back in the early 1960s, it was impossible to obtain nuns to staff the school for religious education, so the people of the parish had to try to fill in. There was only one requirement—a car. If you didn’t have a car, you cared...

Planning for a great year

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Will this coming year be just another “ho hum” year for you? Or are you planning for a great year? Well, a great year of course! As you plan, there are four specific areas of growth to cultivate in your lea...

How to cook up a dynamic lesson

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Planning a good meal takes time and attention. It includes assembling the ingredients, preparing the food, and setting the right tone. Catechetical planning is much the same. Putting together a solid catechetical lesson is a creative process that ...

Ten things I keep forgetting

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I will sometimes make mistakes…I will sometimes make mistakes…I will sometimes make mistakes…

Why am I repeating something so obvious? I’m reinforcing a basic concept so that I won&...

Discipline begins with “disciples”

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

It’s no accident that the words “disciple” and “discipline” are spelled so much alike. Both come from two Latin root words, discipulus (a disciple) and discere

Find and use collaborative learning tools on the Internet

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:00:00 GMT

When you think about all the new communication tools available through the Internet, do you feel excited or overwhelmed? Do you wonder how these tools can help you engage your students in faith formation, or do you simply wonder how to keep up wit...

Five tips for teaching faith to everybody

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Good teachers know that they learn more from their students than their students can learn from them! This can be especially true of students with special needs. Here are five steps you can take to ensure that the entire faith community is included...

Teaching faith to the Internet generation

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Today, “change” is a hot topic. Every conference I attend claims to describe “the next new thing.” However, most confuse substance with style. Making the old ways “hip” is not change. Cat...

Six characteristics of a successful catechist

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

What’s the secret to becoming a successful catechist or teacher? Make room for the Holy Spirit! Here are six ways to do that.

Pray
Pray that you will be animated by the gift...

Six Ways to Involve Learners

Sat, 01 Oct 2005 05:00:00 GMT

Our work as catechists is a lot like taking a picture. To take a good one, we need the right equipment and the right setting. But ultimately we need to engage our subjects in order to get what we’re looking for.

A...

Tell me a Jesus story!

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 05:00:00 GMT

“Tell me a story.” What catechist or parent has not heard these words from a child? What greater stories could a child hear than those from the gospel of Jesus Christ? Stories about the life and miracles of Jesus are an excelle...