Just religion class?

"It doesn't matter. It's just religion class," a student muttered under his breath.

And my heart sank.

Just religion class?

As a teacher, it can be frustrating when you see that students do not engage with the material that you pour your heart and energy into preparing...but when it has to do with the faith, that's even worse, in my humble opinion.

We're a Catholic school, yet faith is definitely not everyone's priority. We're focused on test scores, coverage of curriculum, +/- in gradebook...the list goes on. And these things are important (some more than others and some because our culture teaches/forces us to care so much), but I think it's fair to say we've lost a sense of our mission and values. I honestly don't think it's because we don't believe in these things ourselves as teachers and administrators; rather, I think it's because we let these other things slowly creep in and take priority and suck up our energy.

• What are parent emails mostly about? - teachers grading unfairly, problems with different policies, etc.
• What are teacher PDs mostly about? data, ELA/Math curriculum, student behavior
• What gets scrapped first in terms of needing to find more time in the school day schedule? religion class

Again, I don't think this is done purposefully, but with the pressure to get these kids into their top high schools (so stressful!) and the push to make sure no student falls behind, we are inadvertently dropping the ball on what should matter the most: helping students develop an understand of, and relationship with, Jesus and the faith.

Is everyone Catholic at our school? No - not even close. But most are Christian, which is in the same family and just as important in terms of evangelizing. Are most students practicing? That's a hard no. And I can't judge because I'm not a parent, but when sports games and other activities pull at the time families should be setting aside for dinners, Mass, and prayer, that is a problem. And if they're not getting the sense at home that faith is important, that Jesus is real and someone we should spend time with, etc., then to what end is what I teach going to sink in and be something they think is valuable and worthwhile?

And I'm at a loss for how to help fix it. And I know it's not a unique problem to my school community. But if I can't get the students to take religion class (or even certain parts of class) seriously, they are just going through the motions of turning things in for a grade, thinking time for intercessory prayer is a joke, and not really taking the opportunity to try to connect with God, Jesus, or Mary.

I wanted to do a reset with my students when we came back from Thanksgiving, so I took them over to the chapel in the church. It's a beautiful, sacred space...and even when I explained/reviewed the expectations and why it is such a special place, the way they acted in the space made me feel deflated and appalled. I had to email at least 6 parents about behavior, and I even asked our pastor to speak with them after Mass on Wednesday. We were supposed to do a simple reflection designed for middle school students on the first Sunday of Advent, but it was all a joke to them. Some of it probably reflects on my own behavior management of the class, but part of it reflects that students seem to have lost their sense of wonder and reverence of the sacred. 

So, what now? Before we go on Christmas break, I plan to have the students watch "The Song of Bernadette," as we wrap up our unit on Mary, but I wonder how much it will speak to their hearts. I want to use the new year (coming back after Christmas break) as a reset, but as I look at the curriculum for the rest of the year, I struggle with what units/topics will most speak to their hearts. (And I struggle with how to balance that with student grades - which I wish I didn't have to give, but that's a whole other issue.)

I unloaded a lot - if you've stuck with me through this entire post, I first want to thank you for following my crazy line of thinking and brain-dump. And I want to also ask for your prayers for me and my students (and not just my students but all of the students in our school and those across our country who seem to be in the same boat).

May God continue to bless you this Advent season.

Go Forth! It's all about the exit...

Last night I witnessed the graduation of my students from my previous school whom I taught in 6th and 7th grade for religion and advisory. They are a great group of young people, and at Mass last night, I was so proud of them...and I also realized how much I had missed them and their families (and my coworkers).

Last night was made even more special, as I was invited to be the class's commencement speaker - the students vote to bring back a teacher (who no longer works at the school) each year, and I apparently made the top of their list. I was honored and humbled, and, while I taught in front of them every day for two years, I struggled at first with what to say to them (and their parents) for their graduation.

Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit and for a good friend at Clement who originally shared with me the homily of the exit sign just over a year ago in a small group for Lent. That story impacted me very much, and the idea of taking our faith out into the world has truly resonated with me, and it seemed like the perfect fit for a graduation.

As I gave the speech, I tried to look out into the eyes of my students as well as to the parents. Afterwards one student even asked if I memorized my speech (as apparently it didn't even look like I was using notes - I guess I surprised even myself!). Many parents and students came up to hug me and affirm both the speech and my time with their children - their kind words meant a lot. A grandparent of a student told me, "You have a rich life." Indeed I do.

I have included the text of my speech below (though, I did add a few impromptu things in last night that aren't reflected here) - I believe everyone would benefit from reflecting on the importance of the exit sign for our faith and for our lives -->


When Mrs. Hill called to invite me to be your commencement speaker, one of the first things I did was text my family. They know how much you all and ICSJ have meant and still mean to me, so I knew they would want to know I would be celebrating this special evening with you. Now, I’m sure I have shared stories about my dad before, but what I might not have told you is that my dad is quite the public speaker himself, so I told him I might be coming to him for some good ideas to share with you tonight, to which he replied, “Kel (because he doesn't call me Miss Foyle), I’ll give you as much perspiration as possible. LOL.” It should be noted that my dad has yet to use an emoji in a text message; otherwise, I imagine it would have been the winky face one. Or the crying laughing one. Perspiration...thanks for your help, Dad. I guess that was a gentle hint from him that he had faith I could handle this one on my own.

In all seriousness, in the past few weeks I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about all of you, of your teachers, and of all of the wonderful things that make ICSJ such a special place...the things that made our classroom a special place… And the truth is, I’ve missed you. I’ve missed your smiles and hugs every day, how you used to tackle each other to be altar servers. I’ve missed the crumpled up balls of aluminum with notes that say “Miss Foil...get it?” (In my next life, I’m changing my name.) I’ve missed the creative projects you made, my favorite one of all-time probably being Michael’s infomercial, where he gave one of the best similes about Lent I had ever heard - “Lent cleans up your life like Oxiclean cleans up your clothes.” Your questions in religion class were deep, and your enthusiasm and energy never wavered. I will never forget the Christmas carol where you set my name to the tune of Jingle Bells nor how several of you remembered my birthday this year and emailed me. You are an incredible group of young men and women, and, more importantly, you are incredibly kind. All of us gathered here tonight love you very much.

Now, by inviting back your previous religion teacher, you knew you wouldn’t get away without us spending at least a little time talking about our faith, right? I mean, as much as I love college basketball, I’m not going to go with the sports-life metaphors tonight, sorry. I actually want to share a piece of wisdom with you that I first heard in a homily at a school Mass one time. The priest had finished reading the Gospel, and he came down in front of the students, and he asked them this question: “What is the most important thing in this church?” The students thought about it for a little bit, and then slowly but surely they started to raise their hands. He called on one girl. “The Eucharist,” she said. (That would have been a Miss Foyle-approved answer.) The priest nodded but kept asking. Another student said “the people.” He continued to ask a few more students whose answers varied, but he didn’t get the answer he thought was the correct one. So, finally, when they had pretty much exhausted every possible answer, he looked at them, and he pointed...to the exit sign.

You might be sitting there thinking, “Miss Foyle, you’re crazy! You told us the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.” Why yes, I did teach you that...I’m so glad you remembered. But let’s think about it - the exit sign. We come to Mass to be nourished in mind by the Word of God, in spirit by community with others, and in body by the bread that we receive. We come to Mass to worship God and to grow in holiness. But it’s not enough that we do these things within the church walls. At the end of Mass, the priest literally sends us forth from the church to take what we’ve learned and celebrated in this building and be that for others in the world. Our faith is meant to be a lived one...once we have exited the building.

The exit sign, therefore, reminds us that our lives are not about us. WE are the Body of Christ; we are bread for the world. Everything we learned together in religion class and at Mass means nothing unless that’s how you choose to live your daily life - unless you act with kindness and compassion toward others, you serve those in need, you respect your parents, you continue to inform your conscience, you spend time in prayer, you see Jesus in others, and you are Jesus for others.

And tonight, on your graduation, the exit sign holds true for your education as well, as you have now walked through the doors of ICSJ for the last time as students. In your caps and gowns, with your diplomas in hand, we will be sending you forth from ICSJ on to Loyola, Ignatius, DePaul College Prep, Whitney Young, Walter Payton, and other great schools all around our city with confidence that you will excel. As graduates of ICSJ, don’t forget the lessons you learned here - how to think critically, how to thoughtfully and thoroughly support your argument in an essay or debate, how to build the Colosseum out of popsicle sticks (who knows, you might have to help your own kids one day with that one), how to listen, how to be a good friend, how to stay organized… The challenge will be to use these skills and lessons to help you continue to be your best self as lifelong learners and to help your peers along the way too. As your teachers, as your parents, this is one of the most important things we can wish for you - that when you exit ICSJ as graduates you remember who you are, and who you will one day be, as scholars, as leaders, and as children of God. So, as you go through high school, college, and beyond, stop and ask yourself from time to time if you’re using what you’ve learned and the gifts God has given you for others and in order to make this world a better place.

You see, that exit sign is important. It is important tonight, and it is important as you continue your journey into new communities in a broader world. I believe that the priest was right. I challenge you to let that exit sign be a reminder of who you are in here (point to heart) and as motivation for who God is calling you to be out there. Congratulations Class of 2019. I love you. And in the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola, “Go forth and set the world on fire.”

What makes a meaningful life?

I've NEVER (I repeat, NEVER) been excited about teaching Family Life. Why we still use the textbook series we use is beyond my comprehension - the themes are there (if you look REALLY hard), but the substance is completely surface level. How are we supposed to get the kids serious and interested about the topics if we don't give them anything worth being serious about in the first place?

It has taken five years of teaching middle school religion to finally take this into my own hands and do something different. (It's not that I haven't changed things up before in Family Life - I must say, "Tuesdays with Morrie" has been the catalyst of some of the most meaningful discussions I've ever had with students - but they need something even more.) In sixth grade, the topics span all stages of life, from natural conception to natural death, and focus on the decisions we face in each stage. 

So, if you think about it, the question I should be posing to my sixth graders is this: What makes a meaningful life?

This question has been posed throughout history and, notably, across many great works of fiction (and nonfiction)/entertainment. Take A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge learns that a life of building up one's own riches and not spreading love and joy to others is no life worth living at all. Or, consider my personal favorite, "It's a Wonderful Life," where George Bailey gets a chance to see what the world would be like without him, and through that experience he understands how much one life has the power to positively affect so many others.

Think about Mitch who took a lesson from his old professor in Tuesdays with Morrie:
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

I'm still fleshing out the exact activities and discussions of this unit... What makes this unit/theme difficult is that many students have lost grandparents and one of my sixth graders recently lost his father to a rare disease, so I do need to tread carefully, allowing students opportunities to speak with the guidance counselor or do whatever they need should a particular discussion or activity bring certain emotions or memories to the surface. (While it has been a long time since my grandparents died, I admit I still cry at the end of the movie "Tuesdays with Morrie" every year when we watch it in class. And that's okay...and I want the students to know that and be able to safely experience that too.)

Some people may think middle school students should not have to grapple with this question or may not understand it or cannot handle it...but I respectfully disagree with anyone who feels this way. Our children can and should think about these things. If not now, then when? If not under guidance and in the safe space of a classroom, then where?

So, right now the plan is to keep "Tuesdays with Morrie," but I'm going to open our unit with a look at a work of fiction, Tuck Everlasting, to set the scene and to act as a comparative piece of literature. (If you have not yet experienced this beautiful book, then I suggest you make your way to the closest public library or to Amazon because, in my humble opinion, you are missing out.) It's the story of Winnie Foster and how her path crosses that of the Tuck family on one fateful summer day. To not give away too much while still providing the context of using this in class, the Tucks drank from a spring that allows them to live forever. At first this seems like a marvelous idea, but as Mr. Tuck explains later on, it's more complicated than the glamour and thrill such a life suggests. It's not natural. "You can't have living without dying," Tuck states to Winnie at one point. (Morrie says it another way: "Once you learn how to die you learn how to live.") But when faced with the decision to drink from the same stream or to let her life keep its natural course, what will Winnie do? And, as the reader, you ask yourself, what would you do? What if you could live forever?

I'm hoping the students can use this opportunity to engage seriously in considering all aspects of life, from conception to death, as the gift God has given each of us. And I hope this book (as well as "Tuesdays with Morrie") will help provide the structure the class needs to do just that and to consider how their decisions and actions will shape their lives into meaningful ones.

As the years come and go - can we believe it's 2018 so soon?! - it's a thought worth pondering for all of us: "What makes a meaningful life?" And, perhaps more importantly, we should be asking ourselves, "What am I doing to make my life meaningful - something beautiful for others and for God?"

On that note, Happy New Year! I wish you all the best in 2018!

Grading, Preparing, Football, and St. Therese

Where on earth did September go?

I know I'm not the only one thinking that because I've asked around.

I haven't been out of the house much today (which is good because the rain was really coming down earlier) - I've been watching college football, grading, and making slides/videos for the upcoming week of Religion classes. It was a lot of work, but I feel confident that I'll be getting the week off on a strong foot through the preparation.

"Exhibit A": my students' books on prayer with ND playing in the background...

(Tomorrow I will need to catch up with grad school stuff - and by "catch up", I really mean "get ahead so I don't get behind." Story. of. my. life.)

Last night was a ton of fun - I hung out with a few friends from church and also ran into some familiar faces (mostly other ACErs/ACE grads):

No complaints from the weekend so far. And with apple picking (and Mass) tomorrow, life is pretty darn sweet.

But before I close, I would be remiss to ignore the October 1st feast of St. Therese of Lisieux (better known to some as "Therese, the Little Flower" or "Saint of the Little Way"). Happy Confirmation Saint day feast to my sister and me!

St. Therese is such a great model of faith for so many reasons, and this year I joined others in praying a novena to her for vocations - it was helpful to have a way to hold myself accountable (even if it was through coloring):

St. Therese, pray for us!

One more day of the weekend before a short week with students - yay for professional development on Friday!

Step By Step (or, Bulletin Board by Bulletin Board)

Bulletin boards and front board is up. We're getting closer to the start of the year!

Calling all Catholic school teachers and youth ministers...

Finished a good, timely read on Saturday - Room 24 by Katie Prejean. What stuck out to me most about this book were the quotes and anecdotes by her students as well as her own thoughts about ministering (in a school setting) to teens and young adults. For almost the entirety of the book my head and heart were screaming "me too!" 

Trust me, if you work with teenagers in a Catholic school or youth ministry setting, you should get your hands on this - it's poignant and hysterical at the same time. And it's a quick read so you can read a few pages here and there between grading and lesson planning...

Here are some of my favorite parts:

"To teach Jesus is to conform ourselves, and help to form others, into 'little Christs' who go out and share the Good News. People are not easily transformed by ideas and concepts alone. They are far more often transformed by other people." (p. 23)

"When we constrict ourselves to scheduled teaching on its own rather than actively living what we believe, we can become blathering drones losing sight of the greater mission." (p. 78)

"As humble evangelizers, we should be pointing not to ourselves but to Christ. This is humility in its most concentrated form. We seek not to advance ourselves but to advance the work of the Lord." (p. 108) <-- There are lots of opportunity for humility as a middle school teacher. This was a good reminder. Kids have a way of making sure you don't stay too proud of anything... (Check out the Litany of Humility, which the author explains kept popping up when she needed it the most. It's a good one.)

"Student: I'm only fourteen, Miss P. As of right now, my life plan is just to get to heaven." (p. 127)

"My mom used to say that being a teacher was the hardest job in the world, not because the pay was low or the kids were bad but because at the end of the school year you'd have to say goodbye and you never knew how they would turn out." (P. 128) <-- This quote probably hit home the most, especially as many of us teachers are preparing for graduations.

Katie Prejean also talks a lot about how her students always notice far more than she ever realizes. Similar realizations have occurred in my classroom this year too, most recently on Friday, when, upon going outside to return a student's fruit snacks that I had confiscated during class (Could he have picked a quieter packaging choice to try to sneak in?), a group of 8th grade girls stopped me and said, "I really like your outfit today. I noticed it in class and meant to tell you." Well, if that don't beat all - I tell people that you really know you've "made it" in terms of fashion when you get complimented by an 8th grade girl. (They're usually so hard to please in that department!)

All kidding aside, the book reminded me that the whole teaching about God thing is more than one person's job. I may not see the effects of anything take hold while the students remain in my care, but I have to hope and believe that somewhere down the line at least one thing we studied or learned or prayed about will sink in.

For all those who teach (especially at the middle and high school level), keep doing an amazing job! You're planting seeds - scatter them abundantly for you never know where or when they'll blossom...


P.S. Happy Mother's Day weekend to all moms, moms-to-be, and women who seem/act like moms! It was a beautiful weekend (weather-wise) for all those who were out and about brunching and celebrating. Spring has sprung in Chicago!

Get Excited!!!

Many of my 6th graders were visibly excited to come to Religion class today. (How refreshing!) They remembered that they had a project on stewardship ahead of them for the next two days, so it was time to get to work.

IN A NUTSHELL, here's what their task was… 

Role: Commercial writer/producer and advertiser
Audience: People (of all ages) of a local parish
Format: Want Ad/YouTube commercial
Topic: To recruit parishioners to serve their local church using their unique talents, time, and treasure - What is stewardship and what do the parishioners need to do about it?

(RAFT in disguise - yeah!)

I already saw a TON of creativity in the ways the students created their scripts for filming - some are going to act out various scenarios while others are going to voice over graphics that have to do with stewardship while still others are going to simply speak to the camera.

We have our "commercial viewing party" scheduled for Monday. Pretty excited for that, not going to lie...

Called to Be Childlike

It's impossible not to notice that in the recent Sunday Gospel passages (October 4, September 27, & September 20, to name a few) Jesus focuses his followers on being childlike (not childish). Yes, children - they rely on their parents to provide for them so they don't have to worry, and they accept faith without reservation (and without letting limited human knowledge try to reason out and prove everything God has done).

So, if the disciples and others didn't get the message the first time, Jesus tried again...and again...

Being a middle school religion teacher, I'm at a crossroads with my students - it's the time of their lives when many of them start leaving their childlike faith for one where, instead, they try to fit God into a box, so to speak. (He doesn't belong in a box, by the way - He's too big for that.) In fact, a large percentage of my 8th graders are probably at a point where they think they know everything, or, if they don't, they at least feel like they need to sound like they have all the answers.

But there are some that are holding on to that childlike faith...

The students just finished their first unit of the year on prayer and the Mass. Their culminating project was to create a children's picture book about prayer - it could be informational (just the "facts") or it could actually be a story that illustrates the ideas behind prayer and having a relationship with God. About 80% of students chose the former format (which was undoubtedly the easier way to go), but the remaining ones opted for the latter. What resulted was incredible - these 13 and 14 year olds crafted stories that could probably only be told by children:

- One girl told the story of a young child who had a special relationship with her grandfather; she would call him, text him, write him, and draw him pictures, depending on how it best felt to talk to him that day. At times she would forget or not have time to call him, and she would feel sad. But, when she finally would pick up the phone again, she would only have to ask him to forgive her, and he would do so because he loved her. (Wow.)

- Another girl told the story of a young boy who planted a seed. He watered it and talked to it, but other kids made fun of him. So, after a time, he neglected it; the plant withered and shriveled up. The boy felt sad. He was sorry, and he tried to take care of the plant after a time...and it started to grow back. Eventually, a flower blossomed, and then many more did too. In the "epilogue" my student explained what everything in the story represented. (Again, wow.)

- One student wrote of a boy who was sick and dying from a disease. As his health deteriorated, so did his faith. At the end of his life, he ended up turning back to God, who welcomed him into heaven with open arms, praising the boy for his courage and faith. In this student's epilogue, she explained how everyone from time to time has challenges with his/her own faith, yet God remains there for us, waiting to welcome us back with open arms. (Holy cow - most adults have a hard time putting such things into words.)

There were other stories like these too. What a wonderful living and breathing example of what it means to be childlike as the Gospels have pointed out.

Again, Jesus is trying to tell us something. Let us be open to seeing as children see and entering into a relationship that is completely dependent on God.

Fourth Grade Refresher

Can we say deja vu?

I subbed in one of our fourth grade classrooms (actually, it was my old room) this morning for writers' workshop and religion class. While the students were far from perfect (there are some little chatterboxes, I can tell you), they were eager to learn.

Writing was fun because the students were writing "I Am" poems as their last addition to their poetry portfolio packets. We used a model poem from my previous co-teacher, so that was pretty neat! With only a few exceptions, the kiddos set to work writing their own "I Am" poems for about 10 minutes. After that, I saw each one's writing stamina meeting its match, so I called them back together. They each shared one line from the poem they had written: "I am a big brother," "I am a sports player," and "I am a hockey player" were some of the lines they chose to share. It was a fun close to writing.

On to religion...(Well, we did a quick shake it out energizer first.) I believe I actually ended up teaching a religion lesson plan I had planned back in 2012 - go figure. It was about the Nicene Creed and the 4 Marks of the Church. It's some dry material (in comparison to some Church teaching or events surrounding Pope Francis - of whom we did speak briefly today!), but the fourth graders managed to focus and seemed to enjoy reading about and coming up with symbols for each of the Marks.

The time passed quickly, and soon their teachers returned, and it was time for me to go. It was so refreshing to be with younger children, even if it was just for that one hour. At the younger grade levels, there is more of a sense of love for learning, while many middle schoolers seem to have (at least outwardly) lost that sense of joy for school.

I am grateful for that hour today - it makes my 8th grade class (epic failure) not overshadow my whole day. :)



On a church-related note: Pope Francis spoke to Congress and visited with the homeless in DC today. While I wish I could have watched (in person or via livestream), I am glad I could read about these things tonight instead.

You've Got to Be Taught

Never have I been a more firm believer of the idea that you have to be taught prejudice and fear, just like the classic musical, "South Pacific," reminds us:

One of my 8th grade students took the initiative to present to her classmates about her summer experience at a leadership institute through one of the local universities that allowed her some field experience working with the homeless population in our city. I could clearly see that spending time just talking to people had made a huge impact on her outlook, no matter what preconceived notions she had before. Her classmates, on the other hand, who did not have such an experience, were quick to offer their own "experiences" of seeing people on the street who take money given to them to buy cigarettes or drugs.

"Why don't they get a job?"

"Why don't they just go to school?"

Do you hear what you're saying? (Probably not - it's probably just repeating what they hear their parents say...) What would you do if you had to choose between providing shelter for your family or getting them food? What would you do if  you were mentally ill (or someone in your immediate family was) and you couldn't afford medicine without forgoing other necessities?

The young people I teach have not even begun to grasp how fortunate and privileged they are - not everyone in this world can send their children to private/Catholic school, let alone one like ours with such fine facilities and opportunities. And why should we be so lucky to have these chance? There's no answer - it's pretty simple and straightforward: many of my students have won the proverbial "middle to upper white class" genetic lottery - they were born into their families, doing nothing to earn where they are today.

It's so easy for those of us privileged with opportunities to point fingers at those who have less, when, in reality, we need to turn those fingers around and ask ourselves what God wants of us because we've been blessed with so much. We are in the prime positions to make a difference. (Granted, I'm a Catholic elementary school teacher so it's not like I have money flowing out of my bank account, but it's enough to get by on and then some, for sure.)

My 8th graders are on the brink of their unit on Catholic Social Teaching, so this is as good a time as any to address these prejudices. But I've been in enough situations to realize that it's going to take more than merely trying to tell them facts, figures, and stories - their prejudices may never change (or at least maybe not until they get a chance to spend time with others outside of their immediate social class), but I'm going to try. I'm trying to think through some optional enrichment projects that include students reading a book like Crenshaw, Paper Things, or No Place (any other suggestions are welcome too!), and then having them spend time on websites or with agencies that reach out to those in need in our community (church or otherwise). With the insight from the book and information researched, I am hoping they can put together a Prezi, Weebly, iMovie, etc. that helps them demonstrate some new-found understanding and just maybe helps them start to shift their views towards homelessness in our community.

Highs and Lows: the Beautiful and the Jaded

While it wasn't my ideal Friday night, I did get a chance to read through my students' bellwork sheets last night. I was so excited to see such beautiful ideas and reflections from many students, both in 6 & 8th grades - here are 2 samples:

"My high in religion was all the fun activities we do and I have no lows at all!"

"A high has been reading a story (Children of the King) in religion. A low is that I forgot to pray."

As a teacher, I love to see responses such as these...but I was troubled when I came across one 8th grader's paper with responses on many of the week's prompts such as "This doesn't apply to me" and "my high was when religion class ended and my low was religion class." That really bothered me...and I am stumped.

Not too long ago, this student (who is not Catholic) was interested in what we were learning about even though it was different from her own faith...so what happened? When did such a drastic change occur? Most importantly, how can I bring her back to a more open, positive mindset for learning about the Catholic faith and developing her own personal relationship with God? I do plan to make a phone call to her mom on Tuesday just to see if anything is going on at home and to make her parents aware. How can someone so young be so jaded?

Well...we'll keep fighting the good fight in the classroom this year - my goal is to get both the students and parents on board for spending time together in prayer and for going to weekly Sunday Mass - maybe this will be the year when this finally comes to fruition. Time will tell.

But for now...GO IRISH! Woo hoo!!

Ready...Set...Action!

I love incorporating new ideas into the classroom with each new school year, and this year has been no exception.

Over the summer (while working with a couple classes of teachers doing the ACE program through Notre Dame), we had a guest presenter who did a mini poetry workshop. We did an activity where she gave each group a stanza from Oh! The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss, and she had very basic rules for our groups of 4 people:

1) Everyone has to say at least something by him/herself.
2) Everyone has to say at least something together/as a whole group.
3) No one cannot say anything - in other words, all must participate.

So, the first time wed did the exercise, it was just reciting the lines from the poem.

Then, the same rules applied, but we were instructed to add a movement to just about every word in our section.

And so, after having a little bit of time (i.e. a couple of minutes) to work on that, we all presented (again) with our movements.

And, finally, we did it a third time - but that time, it was done from memory.

Now, that wasn't the end of the activity - she followed it up with a writing exercise involving advice in verse about teaching, but the activity itself gave me an idea for introducing the Nicene Creed this week to my students...

So...I put up the rules on the board (one set at a time), and the students went around the first time just reciting the words of the Creed from their small groups (using the rules stated above). Then, after giving them minimal time, they did it a second time - with movements. And the third time, it was from memory.

As students left the classroom yesterday, I had them "tweet" on an exit slip (140 characters or less, of course!) about their takeaway from the activity. One student wrote, "I didn't know it could be so easy to learn the Creed!" and another said, "I had a lot of fun doing movement with the Creed, and I learned a lot."

If nothing else, it got them out of their seats...and it got them thinking about the Creed. We get into its history and meaning today before moving into the Trinity later this week.

Now, if only I can incorporate this activity into Language Arts soon...I think that might be something those kiddos would respond to...

8th Grade Prayer Stations

On Tuesday and Thursday 8th graders participated in a "prayer buffet" of sorts to learn/practice different kinds of prayers using common materials in hopes they will explore more kinds of prayers on their own...

Please note, I did not come up with these stations on my own. Ideas were sought after and found on the following sites (and others):

http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2009/07/creative-prayer-stations-for-church.html http://kidz.arumc.org/2012/09/21/lordsprayer/ http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2008/03/youth-prayer-nite.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77035731@N04/7335759688/in/set-72157630045380376/

Coming Together as the Countdown Continues...

The classroom is coming along...the set-up is nearly done:

As per usual, our daily objective & homework board - yay for blue painters' tape!

Kind of decided to do this bulletin board on the fly...but I think it will turn out great - more about how I plan to organize/manage it at a later time...

Students will sign up (alone or in pairs) in each class and share in creating the bulletin board for the previous Sunday's Gospel message. (I'm not so secretly hoping this will increase Mass attendance!)

Maybe a little too much distraction around the crucifix...but, as my partner teacher pointed out, they're closer to Jesus that way!

That's a lot of student birthdays...They definitely brighten the room...

Calendar and bulletin board awaiting some ELA-inspired theme...

Don't know how I feel about starting with "pods," but I'm willing to experiment with just about anything. This will allow me to use those student material boxes and free up some space...

In my humble opinion, the room looks bright and welcoming - I can only hope the students think so too...They come for open house next Friday. Woo hoo!

Ready, Set, Plan!

I've had quite a bit of time these past couple of days to dedicate some thinking to setting up my classroom for the 2014-2015 school year. (It's hard to believe I started teaching in 2008-2009, but it's true. Good old ACE was definitely a few years ago...) While I realize that in teaching 2 separate subjects and 3 different grade levels will prove much more of a challenge this year than last year (1 subject = religion, 3 different grade levels) in terms of setting up my physical classroom space with bulletin boards, seating, related items/resources, etc., it's a challenge I am eager to meet.

My thinking has taken me down a path of possible themes/frameworks for my 2 Religion classes, which I have narrowed down as follows:

8th grade = Living out the Catholic Faith Through Catholic Social Teaching (& By Modeling the Saints)
7th grade = Fostering an Attitude of Gratitude (& How This Reflects in Our Daily Lives)

(Okay, so the "titles" (if I can even call them that) need tweaking, but I think the ideas are there. I just need to plant these "seeds" and give them time to grow over the rest of the summer. Side note (somewhat related) - this reminds me of a quote I came across today: "We like a microwave; God prefers a crockpot." These things clearly take time...)

Ooh, and I have also started to transfer my units/curriculum overview for 8th grade Religion into the ACE course curriculum template. I hope that by the end of the year, all the units & respective LPs will be in there. Woot!

The farthest I've gotten in planning for ELA has been to decide on my first read aloud for the year (The Phantom Tollbooth!) and to organize my ELA Pinterest Boards, of which I now have 8 related to reading/writing/language arts. That's not too successful, but in all honesty, I need to discuss things with my partner teacher (we each will have a section of 6th grade ELA) before putting any ideas into more concrete plans...

Summer's good for something, right?

Teaching with Joy...Interrupted by Frustration

Teaching with the Joy of the Gospel (see yesterday's post) - I went into today with that as my goal.

And I lasted...until just about 1:45 p.m. when my second period of 6th grade walked in my classroom...and then proceeded to talk/waste our time for the following 40 minutes. (Guess what they had to do for homework...what we didn't get to in class...Ah! Gosh, I hate doing that - homework shouldn't be punishment...)

Gotta get back on track tomorrow - I have to turn the tables, get things going my way and help these students learn. But how to do it...?

Video? Hmm...it's possible - I have some options...
Acting things out? Check, we're doing that Friday with Bible study...
Discussion? Well, that's a given...but keeping it focused...???

If you have any brilliant ideas, feel free to share. We're finishing up the year with studying the monotheistic religions (Islam & Judaism) and touching on Pentecost and the Ascension...

JOY - Rooting Ourselves in the Gospel

I read a really timely article today on The Religion Teacher (which, by the way, if you teach middle/high school religion, this site (and membership) is for you):

Teaching with the Joy of the Gospel

The article conveys the sentiment of rooting ourselves in the Gospel message (of joy) better than I could ever hope to. So, rather than reading something mediocre I could post here tonight, I direct you straight to the article - it's worth the read, especially as we near the end of the school year and get ready to rejuvenate over the summer. 

Trust me.

Movie Assessment (Follow-Up)

Here's a follow-up to my previous post - I present...the assessment!

It's far from perfect, but I think it will work (especially at this point of the school year)...

Three report card standards from one movie - woo hoo! This make me think it's okay to spend a week of class time on one film & its related assessment. (Not only is it a great movie, but the assessment will provide a substantial amount of scores for the students' report cards...)

Score!

Let's Go to the Movies...

Showing movies in the classroom sometimes get a bad rap.

And this is understandably so - The teacher needs some extra time to do something? Put on a movie. Kids are engaged. Time is yours. Boom. Done.

Perhaps a common response: "All you did was show movies in your classes today? Sooooo, you didn't teach..."

Not so fast, my friends...

Movies in the classroom have SO much potential - whether you show parts of them or all of them - but the kicker (in my humble opinion) is that the teacher needs to be watching right alongside the students.

Personally, I enjoy using movies in my religion class - in fact, this year I've used three (full-length) ones for my 6th grade class. The videos (and assessments/projects) have met with positive feedback from kids and parents alike. And they have each included some sort of assessment to be completed after viewing. 

The kids are engaged (for the most part), but I usually pause the movie a couple of times each class period to discuss key things going on, reasons for characters' actions, etc. and to address student questions or concerns. And I think that interactions such as these during the films have the potential to make using movies in the classroom successful. This goes back to the idea of watching right alongside your students. (There really is no way around it...)

The movies I've used - "It's a Wonderful Life," "Tuesdays with Morrie," and "The Song of Bernadette" - could be considered ones that are hard for many adults to wrap their heads around. And yet, the students have dug deep within themselves to make connections, apply content material, and think critically.

Clearly, the purpose/curriculum connection(s) must be there. And, the teacher needs to guide the students while viewing the movie, stopping when necessary (much like what would be done during a read aloud or a guided reading session in Language Arts class).

It's no sure-fire formula, but I think the students tend to walk away with a lot more meaning and understanding when they are able to apply their school content knowledge to the movies (or, you know, real-life scenarios - duh).

So, at least in my classroom, I can pretty much guarantee we'll be going back to the movies again soon. (We just won't go too much...)

I want to be a Saint!

In the classroom, today was definitely not a red-letter day.

In fact, as class ended, I doubted that the 6th graders had retained any information about the steps in the canonization process. (On a side note, this video from Busted Halo has a pretty straightforward explanation.)

Thankfully, I turned out to be wrong. Even in the chaos and chatter (yes, I wholeheartedly admit that happened today) of the classroom, I somehow was able to drive the message home. One student got so excited while we were discussing the steps as a class that she exclaimed, "I want to be a Saint! That's cool!"

(Can't ask for more than that, can I?)

When I explained to her that each of us probably won't be named official Saints by the Church, we hope to one day be in heaven with God (and that doesn't make us any less holy). She followed up to this by asking, "Well, is there a day for all of those people who don't get named by the Church?" (Yes, All Souls & All Saints Days.)

Hopefully I can chalk the students' behavior up to Monday...come tomorrow, time will tell...