January 2009 CATECHIST Tip of the Month:
Knowing how important it is to make connections with parents and the students’ households, I make sure that every student takes something home at the end of every class. I might hand out bookmarks, holy cards, notes to parents, stickers, or copies of a family activity or prayer. I will even send home that week’s parish bulletin with something highlighted if it’s relevant. I am confident that these items help get conversations started between the children and their parents—thus making connections between class and home.

—Dan W., fifth-grade catechist, Palm Bay, FL


December 2008 CATECHIST Tip of the Month:

Faith-Sharing Circle
Have the children form small groups of three or four. Ask them to move away from the other groups and discuss a specific faith topic. When each group has finished, they form a large circle and one person from each group reports what his or her group decided.

—Margaret T, third-grade teacher, Minneapolis, MN


November 2008 CATECHIST Tip of the Month:

My learning space on Wednesday afternoons is a classroom in our parish school. In sharing a space, though, it isn’t always convenient to leave up displays—like the children’s artwork. I bought a queen-size quilt (thin material with no patterns) at a second-hand store and I use safety pins to fasten the children’s artwork to the “quilt board.” I hang the quilt during class by using push-pins to hang it on a bulletin board. It drapes nicely over whatever display is already on the bulletin board. I take the quilt down at the end of class, roll it up carefully, and put it up again the next week, if we want to continue with the display. Depending on my lesson plan, I sometimes use the quilt board to make a display that will go with the lesson I’m presenting, the beginning of a new liturgical season, a special feast, or a celebrative backdrop to our prayer table.

—J.B., second-grade catechist

October  2008 CATECHIST Tip of the Month:

I use a simple exercise to help keep parents informed about what their child learns and does in religion class. Although I use e-mails, take-home handouts, and parent conferences to do this, I think it’s important for students to share with their parents as well—and parents don’t always take the initiative to start this kind of conversation with their child. So I give each student a 3” x 5” card at the end of each class and have them write down one thing they are going to tell their parents about that day’s class. I don’t collect these or “check” them; I just walk around to be sure each student is writing down something. Even if the cards don’t actually serve my intended purpose, this exercise is still a great moment of reflection for students.

—Melanie, fourth-grade catechist

September 2008 CATECHIST Tip of the Month:

Ask parents to come with their children to the first session for a five-minute prayer. Have students form a circle and have their parents form a circle behind them. Parents and children should face each other. Pray for a great year by offering simple intercessions. Invite all present to respond, “Lord, hear our prayer” and invite a community “Amen” at the end of the intercessions. To conclude your prayer experience with parents and children, ask parents to bless their children in any way they are comfortable.

—Rosemary Walker, seventh-grade catechist, St Henry Parish, Dayton OH

Share your experience with other catechists. Send your TIP to kdotterweich@peterli.com