Hello and welcome to The Religion Teacher! Thanks for following up after the 2013 Faith Formation conference presentations by Jared Dees. You can check out the links to all the additional resources for the presentation below. While you are here, feel free to check out some of the other Catholic religious education resources, activities, and…
Search Results for: Jesus
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…
First Communion Activities
Help your students prepare to experience the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time with some of these many activity ideas. To get a full collection of lesson plans, worksheets, videos, activities, guided meditations, prayers, and more, check out The Religion Teacher’s First Communion Activity Pack. Collections of First Communion Activities The Religion Teacher’s…
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,…
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…
New Book: 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator!
I am pleased to announce that my new book, 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, is officially published! It is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.avemariapress.com, and various Catholic bookstores! 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator is the book I wish that I had when I was first starting…
The Angelus Prayer for Children
Since Advent of last year I have had an incredible experience praying the Angelus every day. At first I started praying it at noon each day. Then I added it to my morning prayer routine. Now, I have reminders set in my phone for 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. to tell me that it…
Day 24: Tell a Story in Class
“With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.” Mark 4:33 How did Jesus teach his disciples? He told stories. His stories of common everyday things were used as lessons for great mysteries. These stories, which we call parables, were used as anchors for his disciples to understand…
Holy Week Prayer Services
There are a number of great Holy Week prayer services for kids that religion teachers and catechists can use in class the week before Easter. We should all use this time, known as the Triduum, as a special week of preparation for the joys of Easter with particular focus on preparing our hearts with the…
Day 21: Draft or Edit Student Learning Objectives
“Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13–14 As I mention in 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, I love Steven Covey’s phrase “begin with the end in mind” from his book…
