Knowing Your Students

OVERVIEW

With students coming from a variety of family, social, and cultural backgrounds, catechists need to become as familiar as possible with their students and their histories and to incorporate the elements of their lives – the good and bad – into their religion lesson.

OBJECTIVES

1. To examine several of the challenges participants face as they grow in faith.

2. To approximate the best learning environments that can positively influence the life of a student. 3. To see how various remote and proximate factors can aid in faith development.

AIMS

1. The participants will be able to name several influences that affect the lives of their stu-dents.

2. The participants will be able to share a

plan for forming a partnership with parents in the religious education of their children.

3. The participants will be able to list other specific, proximate influences on their students, the affect these influences have on their religious education, and several methods for using these influences in a positive way.

Use a variety of materials and techniques to present the points of content and to engage the participants in the learning activity.

Working with the Catechism

The following will help you gain a better understanding of God's design for mutual respect.

From the Catechism

"By design, this Catechism does not set out to provide the adaptation of doctrinal presentations and

catechetical methods required by the differences of culture, age, spiritual maturity, and social and ecclesial condition among all those to whom it is addressed" (#24).

Read the Catechism

Read #2196-#2257.

Discuss the Catechism

1. Does the Fourth Commandment enlighten

your sense of catechetical diversity for different ages and competencies? In what way does it challenge you?

2. What is the impact of culture and social condition on the Catechetical Method?