It is not enough to just teach something and expect students to learn it. Teachers and catechists must assist students as they organize new information within their already pre-existing knowledge about a topic. There are many ways for students to organize new information in through note-taking. Many of the strategies below extend well beyond simple…
The Religion Teacher Blog
7 Pre-reading Strategies that Will Increase Comprehension
Effective reading comprehension is essential to studying the Catholic faith. Being able to read and understand the Scriptures is an obvious reason for this. Since textbooks continue to be a primary teaching tool at all levels of religious education, catechists and religion teachers should have a number of teaching strategies and activities up their sleeves…
The Feast of St. Robert Bellarmine, Patron Saint of Catechists
September 17th is the feast day of Saint Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church, and patron saint of catechists and catechumens. He was born in 1542 at the height of the Protestant Reformation. Like many saints, he was from a noble family and suffered form an assortment of health issues. He became a Jesuit and…
St. John Chrysostom Prayers
St. John Chrysostom was a popular preacher and homilist during the fourth century. His ability to amaze his listeners with eloquent and convincing speeches earned him the nick-name “Golden-mouthed” or Chrysostom. Fittingly he is the patron saint of preachers, speakers, orators, and lecturers. St. John Chrysostom preached strongly against immorality especially against the mistreatment of…
September Contest Opportunities for Religious Educators and Students
There are a few contests roaming around the web right now that I thought you might be interested in. Check them out: Ave Maria Press’s Brother Andre Essay Contest Details at http://engagingfaith.blogspot.com/2010/08/scholarship-contest-celebrating.html Prize: $500 scholarship for students enrolled in Catholic high schools Deadline: September 17, 2010 Requirements: 500 word essay titled “Brother André Bessette: A…
TheReligionTeacher.com is here!
Welcome to the new site, www.thereligionteacher.com! First, thank you for sticking with me during the transition to the new site. The experience has been great and I’m excited about the new possibilities the move has opened up. Second, the new e-book The Religion Teacher’s Guide to Lesson Planning will launch in October. If you would…
The Religion Teacher Is Moving!
This Labor Day weekend, The Religion Teacher will be migrating to www.thereligionteacher.com. I have wanted to make this move for awhile now, and I am finally prepared to do it at the loss of some PageRank in Google (for now). Update your bookmarks and links! If you have this page bookmarked, go over to www.thereligionteacher.com…
Welcome to TheReligionTeacher.com
On Sunday September 5, 2010, The Religion Teacher will be moving from http://thereligionteacher.blogspot.com to www.thereligionteacher.com. Bookmark this page now and get ready for some new resources and teaching tips this September!
Symbol or Sign? A Mystogogical Pedagogy of the Sacraments
Teaching about the sacraments What is a sacrament? The definition drawn from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which most children are asked to memorize, is “an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which we receive the life of God through the work of the Holy Spirit.” In…
Coming Soon
In the meantime, check out http://thereligionteacher.blogspot.com
