When I first started teaching, I used to hear about WebQuests all the time. People said that they were great because the kids would actually enjoy learning. They love technology so the motivation to learn would automatically be there. To be honest, I never found a WebQuest that I liked. Today I barely hear about…
The Religion Teacher Blog
High School Theology of the Body (Tips for Teaching Teens)
If you have had the pleasure of teaching teenagers about John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, then you will surely agree that it is changing the face of Catholic sex education today. As more resources become available for teachers and as the Theology of the Body continues to grow in popularity throughout the Church,…
Catholic Identity in Catholic Schools
What makes a Catholic school “Catholic?” Catholic primary and secondary schools have experienced a number of changes in the years since the Second Vatican Council. Today Catholic schools are staffed almost entirely by lay people while in the 1960s they were staffed primarily by religious sisters, brothers and priests. As Catholics move from the inner-city…
Keep Your Lesson Plans!
You never know when they are going to come in handy. Now I am not a big fan of needlessly saved stuff. I don’t have boxes of worksheets and handouts lying around our house. I do, however, have a record of all of my planning from year to year on my computer and on CDs….
An 8th Grade Catechist Reflects on His Year
For catechists, this is a great time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to next year. I did a little reflecting and came up with some observations about the year and goals for next year. This was my first year teaching 8th grade CCD at our current parish. It was an adjustment…
Virtual Tour of the Sistine Chapel on Vatican Website – Activities
The Vatican has added another interactive feature to their website. Have you ever been to the Sistine Chapel? Have your students been? With so many things to see in Rome, I was never able to block out the time to wait in line to see it. A “virtual” tour may not be as good as…
End of the School Year Ideas and Activities
The end of the year is quickly approaching for most schools and religious education programs. For teachers this can be just as stressful that the rest of the year. Many students—especially seniors and 8th graders—“check-out” early in the second semester with a bad case of “senioritis.” Other students wait joyfully in anticipation of the close…
Do Catholics Worship Mary?
No, Catholics do not worship or adore Mary. Catholics hold Mary in a special place of honor and venerate her with special devotions such as the Rosary. The first point of confusion related to this issue is terminology. So let’s clarify a few words: worship, adoration, veneration, and devotion. If you look them up, they…
A Reflection on Developing Virtues in Teens
One thing that separates religious education from other disciplines is that religion teachers and catechists go beyond teaching about the faith to teach students how to have faith. This is especially the case with the Christian moral life. With Christ as our model, teachers show students how to be moral persons. They do this by…
How to Get Students to Participate in Class Discussions
You’ve just taught one of the most profound theological lessons of the year. You think your lecture was fantastic, amazing, even inspiring. You finish, turn to the class and ask them a question to discuss this amazing lesson. What do you hear? Nothing. Blank stares, no eye contact, and the sound of crickets in the…
