Teaching – Page 3 – Catholic School Chronicle

December 6, 2010December 5, 2010

The 3 Functions of a Catholic School

Classroom Why do Catholic schools exist? What’s really the difference between a public school and a Catholic school? Is a Catholic school simply a public school with an added course called Religion? Is a Catholic school’s purpose to be a haven from the world, an island where no bad things come?

According to the Declaration on Christian Education, a document of the Second Vatican Council, a Catholic school has three functions:

No less than other schools does the Catholic school pursue cultural goals and the human formation of youth. But its proper function is to create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, to help youth grow according to the new creatures they were made through baptism as they develop their own personalities, and finally to order the whole of human culture to the news of salvation so that the knowledge the students gradually acquire of the world, life and man is illumined by faith. So indeed the Catholic school, while it is open, as it must be, to the situation of the contemporary world, leads its students to promote efficaciously the good of the earthly city and also prepares them for service in the spread of the Kingdom of God, so that by leading an exemplary apostolic life they become, as it were, a saving leaven in the human community. (Gravissimum Educationis, 8)

Looking at our own Catholic schools–whether as a pastor, administrator, or teacher–how do they measure up? Are they functioning as intended? Looking closer at each of the following points may help us reflect on those questions.

1. “To create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity”:

Is my school’s atmosphere “special”–that is, uniquely enlivened by the freedom and charity of the Gospel?
How much autonomy do the students have? Are they free to pursue their individual gifts and God-given talents?
Charity: “a divinely infused habit, inclining the human will to cherish God for his own sake above all things, and man for the sake of God” (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1910). How does my school foster the virtue of charity?

2. “To help youth grow according to the new creatures they were made through baptism as they develop their own personalities”:

We are called to help our students grow not as the “old creatures” they were before their baptism, but as “new creatures.” How should our approach be different than if we were teaching the unbaptized?
What do baptized young people need in order to grow in their new life in Christ?
Am I helping students to develop their own personalities, or am I unintentionally squelching their individuality?

3. “To order the whole of human culture to the news of salvation so that the knowledge the students gradually acquire of the world, life and man is illumined by faith”:

How does the world look different when “illumined by faith”?
Catholic schools are called to look at “the whole of human culture” through the lens of faith. How does that lens affect our lesson plans and subject area objectives?
In areas like science, social studies, mathematics, language arts, and music, does the content and organization of my school’s curriculum look very different than a public school? If so, how? If not, why not?

November 18, 2010November 17, 2010

ROMAN Reading Will Help Students Read Critically

I am very excited to announce the release of the Practice Edition of ROMAN Reading, a book that will help student readers take the next big leap in understanding literature. Based on my free e-book from 2007, and written primarily for 13-18 year-olds, ROMAN Reading bridges the gap between being a fluent reader and becoming a skilled, critical, literary reader.

For Catholic students in particular, being a skilled reader is critically important for understanding scripture and Church doctrine. If Catholics are to know and live their faith, they must be able read the Catechism, papal documents, theological and spiritual classics and other works of religious importance. Reading popular, light fiction–as fun and entertaining as it is–is simply not enough to live a life worthy of the gospel.

As Fr. John Hardon, SJ wrote,

“Everything we read stimulates our minds to think, and what we think determines what we desire, and desires are the seedbed of our actions. Given this iron law of human nature–from reading to thinking, to desire to acting–we are shaping our destiny by the ideas we choose to have enter our minds through print.”

Short and to the point, ROMAN Reading gives readers the five tools they need to understand sophisticated books, and presents them in a way that is easy to remember:

R: Read the book/story all the way through once.

O: Outline the major events or elements of the book.

M: Mark the book.

A: Ask the right questions.

N: Name your experience.

In this expanded practice edition of ROMAN Reading, students get the chance to apply their new skills immediately with stories by some of the world’s greatest writers:

“The Bet” by Anton Chekhov
“God Sees the Truth But Waits” by Leo Tolstoy
“The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde
“How Much Land Does a Man Need” by Leo Tolstoy
A Christmas Carol (unabridged) by Charles Dickens

Each story includes a checklist so readers can work their way through the five different skills and keep track of their progress.

ROMAN Reading is ideal for classrooms or home schools, as each section could be taught as a single lesson, and the entire book could be used for a multi-week introduction to how to read literature. The included stories offer thought-provoking issues and themes that make for lively discussions.

I’ve used the information in this book for many years, and I’ve seen the difference it can make in teen readers. ROMAN Reading also includes my own reading list of great books, collated from thirteen other “great books” lists.

Try ROMAN Reading today, and help the young men and women in your life begin their journey to becoming literate, skilled readers.

If you’re interested in reviewing ROMAN Reading, let me know and I’d be happy to provide you with an electronic copy.

November 17, 2010April 5, 2018

A Visit from Jesus – A Junior High Reflection

How would our lives change if we remembered that Jesus was with us always? We are often so preoccupied with the material world that it can be difficult to remember that the Holy Spirit is present and alive in each moment of our lives. When our students begin to realize that Jesus is with them at all times, their lives become transformed, as happens to all who encounter Christ. The following reflection assignment is meant to help junior high students creatively picture Jesus present in their lives by imagining that he comes for a visit.

A Visit from Jesus

Imagine that Jesus is coming to spend a few months living at your house with you.

How would you get ready for his visit? For example, would you make any changes to your room decorations? Why or why not? What else would you do to prepare?
On the day he arrives he gives you three compliments and tells you he’s very proud of you. What are the accomplishments and how does he tell you?
During his visit you get a chance to ask him any question about religion or faith. What do you ask him? Why do you want to know?
What does Jesus do all day during the months he spends with you? How does he spend his time?
One day he gets curious about the music you listen to and asks to listen to it. Maybe he borrows your mp3 player, or maybe the two of you hang out in your room listening to your music. Which music does he like? Which music does he avoid? Are there songs or CDs that you choose not to play for him? Which ones? Why?
Before he leaves, Jesus gives you some good advice for improving your life. What does he suggest?

Write at least one paragraph in response to each set of questions. I recommend answering one set of questions per night, rather than writing the entire paper at once. You are not being evaluated on the content of your answers, but on how much thought and effort you put into the assignment. Answers that seem thoughtful, honest and deep will be worth more than those that seem shallow and rushed.

Grading: Your paper will be worth 100 points and will be graded according to the following guidelines:

A: Follows directions; writes thoughtful, complete answers in a unique and honest way; is legible; uses complete sentences and paragraphs.

B. Follows directions; writes thoughtful, complete answers; is legible; uses complete sentences and paragraphs.

C: Follows directions; answers are too brief and on the surface; may be a bit hard to read or understand.

D: Very brief answers to the questions; seems hastily done; messy or sloppy.

F: Not turned in, or incomplete.

This is not an assignment that assesses a student’s knowledge of Catholic doctrine. The purpose here is to get students thinking about the difference Jesus makes in their lives. It is a way for student’s to reflect on who Jesus is, and how his presence affects them.

It’s also a great way to get inside the minds of my students so that I can adjust my lessons to fit their needs more specifically. Plus, their responses are just so beautiful, they provide inspiration for my own spiritual life.

Here are a few responses from past 8th grade students to give you a taste of what you can expect if you try this with your own class:

“No, I would not change my room. I want Jesus to be able to see how I live, who I am, and what I like…I would like to be myself totally so that Jesus is really talking to me and not who I want to be. Jesus will see who I really am and will be able to help me with any troubles I have in life.”
“If I could ask Jesus any question I would ask him about heaven. I spend a lot of time thinking about what you have to do to get into heaven.”
“He mostly listens to classical and jazz-type music. He likes slow songs that he can meditate to.”
“I think Jesus would give me advice on how to cope with my siblings. He would understand that my position is a hard one and that even though I am trying, there is always room for improvement.”
“He enjoys going to my school with me to see what I am learning. He also goes to Church to talk to people and answer their questions. Jesus and I also take my dogs on walks and pray together. We do pretty normal things. I show him what it’s like to be a person my age.”
“His second compliment to me was my cooking. Even though he may not have liked it, he said that I had made it with a good heart and that he was pleased.”
“An additional suggestion that he made was that I should go and enjoy the outside world and not just sit inside doing nothing.”
“The first question I ask is, ‘What was it like to be crucified? How bad did it hurt?’ Another question is, ‘How is it possible for God to be the Alpha and Omega, or how can he always have been there?'”
“I also showed him what video games are, but avoid the killing ones. Jesus thinks that video games are cool, but would rather go for a hike or pray.”
“I ask him what it was like to carry the cross the long distance that he did, and what it was like to be crucified knowing that he was doing it for millions and millions of people.”
“We mostly listen to albums by Train, Jason Mraz, Adam Lambert, Taylor Swift, and any song that’s new and fun to listen to…He encourages me to listen to Taylor Swift more often because her lyrics actually mean something and she doesn’t swear in any of her songs…He also wants me to listen to Jack Johnson more because his music is so calm and nice to listen to.”
“The big question about faith that I ask Jesus is how I can understand the Bible better. He tells me how after he takes out his original copy of the first draft ever written…He shows me who wrote what and we begin to have discussions every night.”
“Jesus is a pleasure to have around. He is always helping with things like dishes and laundry…At meals he always leads prayer and tells us about what we could do the next day to make the world a better place. At night he says a prayer and we usually let him do so without disrupting, then after a few weeks of doing that, he invites my family to join him each night. By next week it becomes second nature.”
“I desperately want to know about his childhood and how his peers thought about him saying that he was the son of God. I certainly wouldn’t believe any of the boys in my class if they said they were God.”
“Before Jesus leaves he would advise me to pay more attention during Mass. He would want me to not fall asleep during the homily, no matter how boring it may seem. I think Jesus would open my eyes to live a more prayerful life instead of just saying the Hail Mary quickly before school gets out, or the Glory Be because it is shorter.”

November 2, 2010November 1, 2010

Commemorating the Dead with Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash Today is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, otherwise known as All Souls Day. As we remember all those who have died, it is important to remember that in death life is only changed, not ended.

Johnny Cash’s final musical legacy beautifully expresses our hope of eternal life, and can provide teachers with a powerful opening to a discussion of the afterlife.

Shortly before he died in 2003, Johnny Cash recorded his last song, “Ain’t No Grave,” a haunting 1953 spiritual by Claude Ely. As Cash sings, his gravelly voice defies the despair of the tomb. The song has inspired an amazing endeavor called The Johnny Cash Project, in which people all over the world are contributing to Cash’s last music video.

According to the site,

“Through this interactive website, participants may draw their own portrait of Johnny Cash to be integrated into a collective whole. As people all over the world contribute, the project will continue to evolve and grow, one frame at a time.

Submit your drawing to become a part of the new music video for the song “Ain’t No Grave.” Strung together and relayed in sequence your art, paired with Johnny’s haunting song, will become a living, moving, and ever changing portrait of the legendary Man in Black.”

The following video explains that over 250,000 people from 172 countries have already contributed to the project. To see the results, be sure to watch past the 2:51 mark, where the video actually begins.

It’s truly an amazing accomplishment, and one that teachers can use as an entry point into talking about the difficult subject of death. Here are some ideas for how this video might be used in a middle school or high school classroom:

Invite students to create their own pictures of their deceased loved ones making the journey to heaven. The pictures could then be scanned and put together into a book or video.
Ask students to write their own song or poem about the hope of heaven.
Freeze the video on certain frames and ask what the artist might have been trying to say about life or death.
Organize students into small groups, and using iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or other video editing software, have them choose a similar song and create a video using images from Wikimedia Commons or some other royalty-free image site.

How would you use the song or video in your classroom? Do you have other songs you like to share with students to help them deal with the mystery of death?

There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.

When I hear that trumpet sound I’m gonna rise right outta the ground
Ain’t no grave that can hold my body down.

Well look way down the river and what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels and they’re coming after me.

Ain’t no grave can hold my body down.
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.

Well look down yonder, Gabriel, put your feet on the land and sea.
But Gabriel don’t you blow your trumpet ‘til you hear from me.

There ain’t no grave can hold my body down
Ain’t no grave can hold my body down.

Well meet me Jesus, meet me, meet me in the middle of the air
And if these wings don’t fail me, I will meet you anywhere.

Ain’t no grave can hold my body down.
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.

Well meet me, mother and father, meet me down the river road
And mama you know that I’ll be there when I check in my load.

Ain’t no grave can hold my body down
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down

There ain’t no grave can hold my body down

November 1, 2010October 31, 2010

Making the Saints Come Alive in Your Classroom

Every November, Catholic teachers look for creative ways to get their students to appreciate and understand the lives of the saints. Do any of these sound familiar?

saint reports
a saints wax museum
saint posters

This November, if you’re looking for something new, consider having your students perform a reader’s theater. Diana Jenkins’ book Spotlight on Saints! (Pauline Books & Media) contains twelve humorous reader’s theater scripts for students in grades 4-8. In each script, a saint helps a modern student with a real-life problem. In one play, St. Gianna Molla helps a young girl learn to prioritize the activities of her busy life. In another, St. Martin de Porres shows a young man how to find God in everyone.

The featured saints include well-known men and women like St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Paul, as well as lesser known luminaries such as St. Andrew Kim Daegeon and St. Bakhita.

Each play begins with a summary, a list of optional props, a cast of characters and a brief biography of the featured saint. With twelve scripts available, you can even stretch the project out over the year by having students present a new reader’s theater each month.

Parade of Saints

If reader’s theater isn’t quite your thing, here’s yet another creative way of bringing the saints to life in your school: