First Confession

Today was the big day for my second grade class (and the "RCIC" kids).  First Confession is nerve-wracking, but sweet; chaotic, yet peaceful, too.  While supervising the children going in and out of the confessional, I lit a candle for each and every one of them.  The responsibility of each and every soul weighs on my conscience.  I love them all.  They are wonderful children and I pray and hope for the best for all of them. 

For anyone else new at teaching 'first Sacraments' class--don't forget to teach them to make the Sign of the Cross whenever it is said by the priest.  That is the one thing my students kept forgetting to do.  We'll make sure we teach it next year.  We will also practice it in class during our First Communion portion of the class. 
  

Father does not want us to practice communion using anything that looks like a communion wafer, so as not to trivialize the Body and Blood of Christ.  So, I bought matzos which actually look like giant crackers.  They are made with flour and water.  Period.  So this way they can get an idea of what communion bread tastes like, but not make communion wafers trivial.  Matzos are also an appropriate symbol, anyway.  It is very similar to the bread Our Lord Jesus Christ actually did break and eat with His disciples.  The unleavened bread is 'striped' with holes representing the whipping the Egyptians inflicted on their Jewish slaves.  What could be more appropriate to represent Jesus' flesh which would endure such whipping not many hours after declaring the bread to be His Flesh? 

Well, First Confession down, First Communion to go.  I'm nervous already.

Religious Education

This year I embark on a new adventure in religious education--what used to be called CCD (for Confraternity of Christian Doctrine).  I suspect the name was dropped because (1) no one really knew what it meant, and (2) they weren't really teaching doctrine in the 70s, 80s, 90s...  Whenever I say I teach CCD, just about everyone gives me a funny look.  The in vogue term is now R.E.  Anyway,  I've been teaching 1st grade R.E. for three years now, and now I'm diving into the deep end of second grade and the sacraments. 

I am now busy formulating a plan to eject the wishy-washy, cum by ya curriculum we are currently using for a more concrete catechises.  I won't mention the name of the program we are using now because it is perfectly adequate for the use in school when supplemented with other materials.  However, I only have an hour a week with the kids that mostly go to public school.  I am using a different curriculum with a more concrete basis.  It may be difficult because I'm also trying to make sure I hit all the points on the Archdiocese's RE requirements.  Such things as 'social justice' and 'being peacemakers' and 'community' may be difficult to fit into my intended goal of actually teaching these kids the Biblical background to Christ's coming, dying, and resurrection; the sacraments and how they relate to what they learned about the bible; and what the Eucharist is and how it is the same sacrifice of Christ.  I would like them to actually learn Catholic doctrine at their level.  I don't want the kids in my class to someday say, "I don't know what the point of Mrs. D's class was, I didn't learn anything about my Faith."

Now my problem is that I have too much material.  I have a great catechetical curriculum for second grade but I must fit it in with the souvenir sacramental books the parish uses every year.  I need to wheedle down the terrific reinforcement activities, stories, and DVDs I now have and make it easy going and hopefully easy to remember the important matters.  I now have cds with Catholic prayers set to music for young kids (original music not set the ABC song or anything like that), which I plan to use to help them learn their prayers.  Music is a wonderful tool with kids, especially if they are not getting the reinforcement or the practice they need at home.  I have visual aids for more visual learners.  I have orthodox story books to relate the sacraments, the ten commandments, and penance to their everyday life.  I have lots of puzzles and activities lined up.  Now, I need to narrow things down and make up my lesson plans.   It is a daunting task at this time, since I am also a week and a half away from starting school for my five kids.  However, those lesson plans are already set up for me.  I just adapt them to our real life and off we go.

For anyone else out there starting on this adventure too, I pray for you.  Please pray for me. 

Litany for our little school and our family:
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.
St. Nicholas, pray for us.
St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.
St. Walburga, pray for us.
St. Florian, pray for us.
St. Brendan, pray for us.
St. Peter, pray for us.
St. Patrick, pray for us.
St. Clare, pray for us.
St. James, pray for us.
St. Francis, pray for us.
St. Michael, pray for us.
Fr. Rother, pray for us.