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Teaching Strategies

Religious Education Difference

Religious Education vs. Regular Education: What sets us apart?

What sets religious education apart from regular education? I gave a live presentation comparing religious education to other forms of teaching, which you can find here: But I was only able to scratch the surface of what we do differently in religion and catechesis. There is much more to say . . . I want…

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Filed Under: Teaching Strategies

The RE3 Framework: Read, Reflect, and Respond

In 2017 I introduced a concept that has transformed the way I teach in religious education: Lectio Divina Lesson Planning. The idea is pretty simple: apply the prayer process of Lectio Divina to everything we teaching catechesis.  The process really caught on and many others benefited from the approach, so I expanded the ideas into…

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Filed Under: Teaching Strategies

Reimagining Virtual Catechesis

So, you are teaching virtually this year. Things are going to be different. It certainly won’t be religious education as normal. It might not be the year we expected. But it could be an amazing year. In response to the pandemic, many schools and parishes have chosen between: In-person classes with social distancing and masks…

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Filed Under: Teaching Strategies

Lesson Objective Cheat Sheet

A Lesson Objective Cheat Sheet for Religious Educators

In step 2 of The Religion Teacher’s Guide to Lesson Planning, I explain how to establish lesson objectives for your students achieve by the end of your lessons. This follows step 1, which is simply creating a list of all the most important topics that you might teach in the lesson you are preparing. Check…

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Filed Under: Teaching Strategies

Story in Religious Education

The Power of Story in Religious Education

The following article is an edited excerpt from chapter 2 of Christ in the Classroom: Lesson Planning for the Heart and Mind, which describes various ways to use meditation in class to help students make personal connections to what they are learning. The simplest way to lead students in meditation is to invite them into…

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Filed Under: Teaching Strategies

Three Keys to Christian Meditation in Class

This article is adapted from a section in chapter 2 of Christ in the Classroom: Lesson Planning for the Heart and Mind. To get more teaching strategies like these, get your copy of the book wherever books are sold. The goal of Christian meditation is to make connections between a mystery of faith and our own…

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Filed Under: Teaching Strategies

Scaffolding Teaching Strategies

The Seven Scaffolding Strategies for Teachers

This article is adapted from chapter 1 of Christ in the Classroom: Lesson Planning for the Heart and Mind. To get more teaching strategies like these, get your copy of the book wherever books are sold. What is a Scaffolding Strategy? Imagine, for a moment, the construction of a building. As each new level is…

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Filed Under: Teaching Strategies

Lesson Hook Strategies

Start Your Lesson with a Hook Strategy

As soon as I read about the idea of using a “Hook” at the beginning of a lesson to get students’ attention, I immediately added it to every lesson I planned. I got the strategy from Doug Lemov’s Teach Like A Champion book and I include it as an important strategy in the learning process…

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Filed Under: Teaching Strategies

Lesson Planning Checklist

Lesson Planning Checklist

The following checklist is from The Religion Teacher’s Guide to Lesson Planning. It includes the three-step process to sitting down and planning a lesson that will engage your students in learning about their faith. To help your students experience an encounter with Christ during your lesson, check out Christ in the Classroom: Lesson Planning for the…

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Filed Under: New School Year, Teaching Strategies

Between-the-Bells Evangelization

Between-the-Bells Evangelization

The way you interact with students in between the bells is just as important if not more important than the lessons you teach during class. Those moments before and after class when you get to speak with students on a personal level have the potential to be transformative experiences for them. When you deliberately talk…

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Filed Under: Evangelization, Teaching Strategies

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About the Founder, Jared Dees

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Jared Dees is the creator of The Religion Teacher and the author of 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, Just Plant Seeds, Beatitales, and The Gospel According to Video Games.
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