Pope Benedict XVI dedicated five Wednesday audiences to St. Augustine of Hippo in February of 2008. It was a part of an ongoing meditation on the lives of the saints of the Catholic Church that he began in 2006 with the saints of the New Testament. In 2007 Pope Benedict moved from New Testament heroes…
The Religion Teacher Blog
Catechist’s Journey Webinar by Joe Paprocki Concludes
Joe Paprocki, the author of Catechist’s Journey, concluded his series of webinars titled “Getting Started as a Catechist” tonight. In the first session he focused on the basics (the role of the catechist, lesson planning, and creating an effective learning environment) and in tonight’s second session he focused on reflective prayer, liturgical prayer, discipline and…
Prayers of St. Augustine of Hippo
In preparation for his feast day on August 28th, here are some prayers attributed to Saint Augustine of Hippo. As a teacher or catechist, you might share them with your students or use them in your own personal prayers for the day: From the introduction of The Confessions (Chapter 1): “Great are You, O Lord,…
News Article on “Reinventing Catholic Schools”
An article was released on Wednesday by http://www.uscatholic.org/ on the various efforts to breathe life into financially troubled Catholic Schools. Click here to read Sarah Karp’s article titled “Final Exam: Can we reinvent Catholic schools?” Also for a more detailed explanation of the topics, read the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s publication by Scott Hamilton titled,…
Gregorian Chant Online
If you are a religion teacher or catechist you may have a number of CDs that you use for journaling or reflective prayer. If not, or if you would like to spice it up with a little variety, here are a couple of suggestions. You will need to have access to the internet and speakers…
Catholic Schools K12 Virtual
[UPDATE: Please see the comments at the bottom of this post to correct some errors that were made in this overview of CSK12.] St. Andrew Catholic School/Parish in Coral Springs, Florida has developed an online education program focused on the Catholic Schools market. The program is called Catholic Schools K12 Virtual and it can be…
Learning New Student Names
As the first days of school begin in the coming weeks, here are some activities and tips for learning your new students’ names. Note Cards: Distribute note cards to each of your students. On the blank side, have them print their name largely and legibly. On the lined side, have them write information that will…
How many students are enrolled in Catholic schools?
Enrollment in Catholic schools is dropping in the United States. Newspaper articles across the country frequently site the annual data report put out by the NCEA. The full report, coordinated by Dale McDonald, PBVM, Ph.D., provides information on school enrollment history, staffing data, public and private school comparisons, demographic information, and more. Some highlights from…
"The Charter Explosion" Webpage
The News21 Fellows at Columbia have dedicated a portion of their website called “The Charter Explosion” to the growing charter school movement. Recently a special focus was placed on the conversion of Catholic schools to charter schools in Washington, D.C. More and more dioceses like Brooklyn, San Antonio, San Diego, and Chicago are looking to…
Scripture-Based Classroom Rules
When you are developing your classroom rules this year, you may want to consider a couple of Scripture passages to provide a framework for acceptable behaviors. You will, of course, need to create succinct rules such as “follow directions,” “seek permission to get out of your seat by raising your hand,” “raise your hand to…
