Jared Dees's Blog: The Latest from Jared Dees, page 55

Our Father Activity: Pray It and Have Fun Too

I spent a couple of days in prayer at a monastery not long ago and when I got back and told my students about the experience and the life of a monk, they’re response was a little disheartening.

“How boring!” one student exclaimed.

“ALL day long? They just pray all day long?” asked another student with a confused look on her face.

Let’s admit it. Prayer can be boring and if we’re not careful, our students will only think of prayer as a boring activity to do.

Even the Apostles fell asleep while Jes...

“Holiday Hints” Christmas Game

This is a guest post by Mary Kate Warner of Christianity Cove. Have a blessed Advent and merry Christmas!

This Christmas game will help students learn the key elements of the Christmas/Nativity Story.

Game Materials

Post-It Notes (one note per student)
Scotch Tape
Thick Black Marker

Christmas Game Overview

A student will have a note taped to their forehead with a word on it and they will have to guess that word with the hints given to them by their teammates.

Introduction to the Game

To introduce the...

Forming Children as Intentional Disciples

Among the many great books that were published during the Year of Faith in 2012-2013 was Sherry Weddell’s Forming Intentional Disciples. The book is meant to clarify an important distinction between being “Catholic” and being a “disciple.” It begins with the statistics about participation in the Catholic Church today that confirm what many of us see and experience in our parishes. Then the book introduces process of disciple-making that focuses on the progression through thresholds of convers...

Liturgical Year Lesson Plan and Flashcard Activity

How do you introduce young people to the liturgical year? Most catechists and religion teachers spend in-depth class meetings focusing on each individual seasons, especially during Advent and Lent. Sometimes, though, it is important to zoom out and help young people see the whole picture.

The liturgical years isn’t about colors and rituals. The seasons are more than wreaths and fish fry Fridays. They celebrate the life of Christ. They always, always, always focus on Christ. He is the reason fo...

Now You Can Teach Like Pope Francis!

Have you paid close attention to Pope Francis’s homilies and speeches? He follows a consistent format that all teachers, catechists, and communicators can use.

For Pope Francis, three is a magic number.

Beginning with his first homily to the Cardinals the day after his election, he tends to focus on just three words, questions, or ideas in each of his homilies and speeches. It makes his points very easy to follow and it is hard not to come away with a memorable lesson about God and our faith.

Hi...

Praying the Rosary for Your Students

On Day 13 of the book, 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, I suggest that one way to become a better disciple/servant to God and our students is to pray for the kids we teach. In the book, I suggest more than just a general class prayer, but specific prayers and intentions for each individual student we teach.

The Month of the Rosary offers a special opportunity to put this practice into action. When you pray the Rosary, offer up each Hail Mary with an intention specifically relat...

First Communion Activities

I’m very excited to be teaching second grade this year! I will be helping young people prepare for their First Communion and First Reconciliation. Since I’m new to this age level, I’ll be collecting as many First Communion activities and ideas as I can throughout the year and adding my own contributions I create them for my class. If you are teaching second grade or preparing children for their First Communions and Reconciliations this year, I hope you will check back here for more activities...

Moses Lesson Plans

One of the most important figures in the Old Testament is, of course, Moses. Moses was called by God to lead the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt and into the freedom of the Promised Land of Israel. Most of his life story appears in the Book of Exodus, but also in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers.

At the bottom of this post, you can find links to other Moses lesson plans. There are so many important parts of his life and these lessons focus on various aspects of his life from a Ch...

The Most Important Piece of Advice that New Religion Teachers and Catechists Don’t Want to Hear

I am blessed to live and work near the University of Notre Dame. Summers are always a great time here. I’m a graduate of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program and my wife still works for one of the ACE programs so I get to hang around people who are passionate about Catholic education all summer long. I also get to meet and talk to first-year teachers enrolled in the ACE Service through Teaching program.

As they were leaving Notre Dame and heading to their first jobs as teachers, i...

The Basic Steps of Lectio Divina

Lectio divina is an ancient Catholic prayer method for reading and praying with the Bible. Don’t let the Latin scare you away from learning to do it yourself or from sharing it with your students. It is an essential practice for all Catholics to learn and certainly not something we should avoid teaching young people to do. In the eBook, Lectio Divina for Children and Teens, I provide a number of handouts and activity suggestions to help teach young people the skills they need to fully experie...