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Good morning or afternoon depending on when you're reading this post. I'm typing it up after my morning chiropractor appointment and a few errands I ran this morning. Schools have yet to officially start here, but the counties will begin heading back next week. It seems crazy that summer is basically gone for the kids. Our county has 2 more weeks of summer break left. They don't go back until after the county fair. Small, rural county loves their fair. Thankfully, we don't head back so early for Sunday school. CCD, or Sunday School, starts for us on September 8th.
This will be my 15th year teaching 1st grade Sunday school. It doesn't;t seem like I've been doing it that long, but I guess I have. I started when Therese was in 1st grade. Boy has time flown by.
I'm currently working on my lesson plans for next year. I've had to change a few things around. We got a new director of religious education a few years ago, and he's been slowly trying to get things set up in a different direction. He's been extremely flexible with all of us old teachers. I love the direction he's taking us in and honestly, I see why. The kids have changed quite a bit over the years. Sadly, I see fewer small children who know anything about their faith when they come to class. Many of them don't even know the basic Bible stories. Our new direction is changing that. The kids seem younger to me. Their attention span is less and their comprehension skills are not as strong as children in previous years. I have had to adapt and change how I approach the class. So some things have changed, but I definitely kept things that worked.
This year, I'm breaking class up into segments of 10-15 minutes. Keeping them engaged and active will help them learn. I've switched out a few of my longer books to shorter ones to keep their attention. I've added a craft and a game to each lesson. Getting them up and moving helps eliminate those wiggles from boredom. I want class to be fun but I also want them to learn more about their faith and God.
So What am I Teaching?
Prayers~
We will work on the Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and the Guardian Angel Prayer
Saint~
We will learn about a new Catholic saint each week. We will read a brief summary about their lives and the children will each get a coloring page of the saint to color and take home.
Virtue~
We will learn a new virtue each week that goes along with our saint of the week. We will talk about how to practice that virtue in our everyday lives. Years ago, I found an online virtue program for my kids. I have kept it and now use it with my class. It is called Virtues in Practice from the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecelia in Nashville.
Old Testament Lesson~
We will start at the beginning and work our way through most of the main Bible stories. I tried to focus on the ones that are fun for kids to hear and learn about. We will be using The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Each student will be given their own children's Bible to take home and read.
Catechism Lesson~
We will learn about the basic beliefs of our Catholic faith. I'll use the Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism. I used it with my kids and it was perfect for little ones.
Each week, we will do a craft, play a game, and have a snack that goes along with one part of our lesson. Next Week, I'll share about my classroom layout and what my theme this year is going to be!
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God Bless and Till Next Time,
Monique
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