Religious Education Basics & Planning Tools In the past several volumes of PRAXIS and on our website, we have been offering guides to key educational ideas and concepts that we hope will help religious educators—whether experienced or new—confidently hand forward the Orthodox Christian Faith. You may choose to distribute some of them at teacher orientation meetings, share them with parents, add them to monthly Sunday Church School newsletters, etc. 1. Why Do We Educate in the Church at All? 2. Why Sunday Church School? 3. Live the Liturgy. Teach the Liturgy. 4. Parents & Teachers: Partners in Teaching the Faith 5. Does the Archdiocese Have a Curriculum? 6. What Your Child Should Know 7. Planning Your Lessons 8. Appealing to Every Type of Learner 9. End-of-Year Teacher Self-Evaluation Tool 10. Summer: A Time to Grow, a Time to Plan This file also includes forms that may be useful for planning your year: School Year & Event Calendar Worksheet Fall 2011 & Spring 2011 Curriculum Planning Worksheets (to use for each class) Lesson Plan Worksheet We are also providing three forms as separate files: 1. Teacher Information Spreadsheet Each year, we ask the religious education directors of the parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to share information about themselves and their teachers. This year, we’re also requesting some additional survey-type information to help us better know our teachers’ backgrounds. Please e-mail this spreadsheet to religioused.goarch.org when you have completed it. We use this data for planning and to send out our annual catalog, seasonal flyers, e-mail newsletter and announcements of new releases. We send about one e-mail per month and five flyers per year. We do not share personal information with any third parties. 2. Textbook & Materials Planning Worksheet, which you can e-mail as an order form. 3. Student Information Spreadsheet (please do not e-mail this)
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
Why Do We Educate in the Church at All?
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here could be many ways of stating the goal of education in the life of the Orthodox Church. In the mid-1980s, the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese developed the following statement: The purpose of Orthodox Christian Education (catechesis) is to help build up the Church, the Body of Christ, by nurturing every person in the life of personal communion with the Holy Trinity (theosis), and thus, through this ministry, to bear joyful witness to God’s loving and redeeming work in the world. Being only one part of the total life of the Church, Christian education is effective in the context of living faith in the home and the local parish. Living faith is concretely expressed through all believers—bishops, priests, parents, teachers, parish leaders, youth leaders, and all Orthodox Christians seeking to know and to live the new life in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Key Term: Curriculum People often ask, “When will the curriculum be finished?” The glib answer would be, “When the student has learned everything!” Really, the question points to how most of us have confused and conflated the term “curriculum” with “textbook.” Offices regularly say that they have produced a “new curriculum” on a topic. What they mean is a book, a resource guide, a program guide for an activity, or some other product with information or set of instructions for people to follow when working with a specific topic or audience. So what does “curriculum” really mean? It comes from
Religious Education Basics
the Latin word currere, which means to run a course, like a racecourse or track. It refers to the path that one follows. In education, a curriculum is an entire course of study that one follows in order to achieve or acquire the objectives of the program. For example, if you were studying to become a physician, the entire program of medical school comprises the curriculum, including the academic courses, the study groups, the clinics, the labs, the internship and residency, and the manner of instruction. All of these elements transmit the knowledge and create the experiences that prepare someone to practice medicine. What happens in the entire life of the school or classroom comprises its curriculum. What happens in one day of that life is just one episode in that curriculum. A textbook is just one dimension of that curriculum. Applying this to the Church, then, means that the life of the parish is the curriculum for teaching people what it means to be an Orthodox Christian. The curriculum of the parish is its life of worship, its social programs for its members, its service to the world, and its witness of the Orthodox Church and faith to others. All of these together teach the Orthodox faith. So, if you were to read all of the books about Orthodox Christianity that you could find, but never attended the Divine Liturgy, participated in it, or received Holy Communion, your education would be deficient. The intentional programs of schooling, classes, lectures, Bible studies and so on are just one dimension of this curriculum. In a Sunday Church school program, the curriculum is what happens from the moment the students gather until they depart, which includes far more than the textbook used in class.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
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Fall 2008
Why Sunday Church School?
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or most of us, going to Sunday school was a given when we were children. Attending Sunday school was as much a part of our Sunday ritual as attending the Divine Liturgy. But over the years, Orthodox religious educators have questioned our reliance on Sunday schools, especially because they often meet during the time of the Divine Liturgy, thus excluding children from Sunday worship. For decades, there has been a continual call for religious instruction to occur at a time other than the Sunday Liturgy. Some parishes have experimented with meeting at other days and times, but Sunday school endures, mostly with children attending part of the Liturgy and then going off to class. So where did Sunday school originate? The Sunday school originated in the late eighteenth century in England. With the rapid industrialization of England, before child labor laws and compulsory schooling, children were at work in factories and sweatshops. On Sundays they were free to do as they pleased, often just running wild and getting caught up in immoral and sometimes criminal behavior. In 1780, Robert Raikes (1735–1811), a journalist in Gloucester, England, wanted to combat this in his city. He organized the first Sunday school to teach literacy skills, Christian teachings, reading the Bible, and skills necessary for everyday life, such as hygiene to children. It was a full day and very strict in its discipline. Because English law barred him from opening a school, it met in the kitchen in a home in the neighborhood of the students. Over time, Raikes established a number of these Sunday schools. Raikes’s work received mixed reviews at the time. Some in the Church of England and the British government criticized him for giving the poor too much control and authority over their lives. However, many British gentry supported his work.
Religious Education Basics
John Wesley, who had preached in the American colonies in the 1730s, visited one of the Sunday schools while on a preaching tour in England. Wesley determined to include the Sunday school in the movement he called Methodism. Sunday school resembled some of Wesley’s efforts in Savannah, Georgia, in earlier decades. Another early developer was William Fox, a wealthy Baptist, who established Sunday schools in the 1780s so that people could learn to read the Bible. Fox also formed the Sunday School Society, which promoted the development of Sunday schools throughout England. Over time, the Sunday school became a regular feature of life in England, with hundreds of thousands of students enrolled in them. In the United States Because of the religious convictions of the colonists to America, organizing school programs for children to learn to read the Bible, the catechism of their particular church, and basic Christian teachings was present from the very earliest times, although not necessarily as a “Sunday school.” Parishes and denominations operated these schools; most schools in the colonies and the United States after 1776 were religiously based. (What we think of as the public school would not begin to be established until the mid-1800s.) The American Sunday School Union was founded in 1824 to develop resources and to promote the establishment of Sunday schools throughout the American continent, especially as the population began to move westward into the new territories. A controversial issue in the Sunday school was the teaching of blacks, slave or free. Southern states had outlawed education for slaves, and Northerners were viewed with suspicion when they established Sunday schools in the South. Black denominations, such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church, began to establish their own Sunday schools. As it did in England, the Sunday school became a regular feature of American parish life.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
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Winter 2009
Live the Liturgy. Teach the Liturgy
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or nearly four decades, Orthodox Christian religious educators have emphasized that Sunday Church school should not be held during the Divine Liturgy. In his classic book, Liturgy and Life, Fr. Alexander Schmemann writes, “It seems self-evident to me that to organize a so-called ‘Sunday School’ during the Divine Liturgy deeply contradicts the spirit of Orthodoxy. . . . Sunday is primarily a liturgical day, and it should be church-centered and liturgy centered.” In agreement with Fr. Schmemann, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese since the 1970s has emphasized that children should attend as much of the Divine Liturgy as possible and practical for the parish. We will spend the bulk of our adult lives as Orthodox Christians in various worship settings—not in classes or other parish activities. The habit of attendance and participation in worship begins very early in our lives. A recent study from the Pew Forum on American Religious Life reported that adults who had not formed the habit of regular attendance in worship as children and teenagers (i.e., they acquired it from their parents) were more likely to drift away from the religion of their family later in life. Teachers play a large role in helping children understand the Divine Liturgy, the actions, the rituals, the words and, importantly, how to participate in the service. Classroom time should be set aside for questions and answers about that day’s
Religious Education Basics
worship. To answer the questions, teachers should continue to learn as much as they can about the development, nature and meaning of Orthodox Byzantine worship. There are practical steps you can take right now. Use the following checklist as a guide to begin incorporating the Divine Liturgy in each of your classroom sessions: • Do you encourage your students to attend the Divine Liturgy with their families? • Do you emphasize the importance of attending the Divine Liturgy from the time it starts, with “Blessed is the Kingdom . . .”? • Do you emphasize participation in the Divine Liturgy? • Do your students see you attending the Divine Liturgy and participating in the service? • Do you discuss the Sunday Epistle and Gospel lessons in your classes? • Do you encourage families to read the lessons as a family before the Liturgy and discuss them on their way home, especially in light of that day’s sermon? • Do your opening and closing prayers in class reflect the liturgical season, such as Lent or the feast day closest to the day of the class session? • Do you remember students’ name days in class and study those saints’ lives?
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
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Winter 2010
Parents & Teachers: Partners in Teaching the Faith
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arents are the chief teachers of their children. Study after study reminds us of this fact, pointing out that the level of involvement a parent has in a child’s education is the key factor in that child’s progress. This holds true for teaching the Orthodox Christian Faith. Sunday Church School teachers are no substitute for parents who take their role as teachers of faith seriously. The single best predictor of whether a young person will remain a member of the Church is the level of involvement of his or her parents. (This is a predictor, not a guarantee.) So, how can we involve parents with the parish Church School program?
Don’t ask for parents to participate or volunteer in a general way. In other words, don’t send out a message saying, ”We need volunteers for Sunday school.” Be direct and specific. Tell them what you need—craft preparation, snacks, help on a certain day—and if you know the parents well, tailor your requests to each parent’s talents. Asking for help with small tasks is more likely to be successful. You could even offer a menu of possibilities at registration time.
Some Ideas CLASSROOM & CRAFT HELPERS When you need an extra pair of hands, call on one of the parents for that Sunday. (Don’t forget to ask dads, too.) FEAST DAYS Invite parents to help celebrate name days by offering allergen-free snacks for the class. ROOM DECORATORS Keep the classroom fresh and interesting. There are always pictures to be hung, bulletin boards to decorate, and seasonal changes to mark.
Keep them informed about what is happening in the classroom. At registration time, collect the parents’ e-mail addresses. Teachers can then create e-mail list (or a group through social networking sites) to communicate lesson topics and follow-up questions parents can ask at home, as well as reminders for any items children should bring on a given Sunday (especially for a craft project). A weekly e-mail from the teacher can bridge the time between Sundays and bring parents into the discussion. Remind parents that 30–40 minutes once a week is hardly enough time for anyone to learn even the basics of Orthodox Christianity. Encourage them to include religious conversations (not parish gossip) at the dinner table or other times during the week.
Religious Education Basics
STORYTELLERS & BOOK READERS Invite parents (and grandparents) to read a book to younger students or tell stories to older classes. GUEST SPEAKERS Ask parents to come to class and discuss service activities, mission trips, how their faith relates to their career, or how certain feast days or holidays were celebrated in their own childhood or in other parts of the country or world. SERVICE PROJECT COORDINATORS Parents can help organize and chaperone the class for short-term or ongoing service projects.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
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Spring 2010
Does the Archdiocese Have a Curriculum?
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his question is posed all the time. The answer is simple. Yes! First and foremost, the curriculum of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is the life of the parish itself. That curriculum consists of a liturgical and sacramental life (leitourgia), a social life (fellowship or koinonia), a life of service (diakonia), a life of witness and proclamation (martyria and kerygma), and a life of learning (matheteia). The religious education programs of parishes should consider all of these elements to be parts of the program. For example, children and families should attend as much of the Sunday Divine Liturgy as possible. If this is a consistent habit, then Sunday Church school can work to explain and explore what is occurring in the Liturgy. Participation in the Liturgy and instruction about the Liturgy can go hand in hand. Parishes with active social ministries usually involve all the parishioners. Learning the rationale—from the stories of Scripture, the lives of saints, and more—ties the ministry of the parish to the Orthodox Tradition, making it more than just a nice thing for people to do, but something that we do because our Faith teaches us to care about others. Serving the poor and learning about serving the poor are connected. Beyond that, the “curriculum” that many people are asking about is really a question about standard resources. And here, too, the answer is: “Yes! The Archdiocese has a standard program.” From 1989 to 1993, the Archdiocese Department of Religious Education published a textbook series covering preschool to fifth grade. These resources replaced an older series of textbooks. Indeed, these are now approaching twenty years old.
What is timeless is the content and relevance of the Orthodox Faith and way of life that they present. What is clearly dated in them is the world that the students know. The Orthodox Christian Education Commission (the Christian education agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America) also has a textbook series. For junior and senior high school students, plenty of resources exist. But the Department of Religious Education is currently focused on producing a series of zines (from “magazines”). These present one topic of the Faith in a unit of study comprised of several lessons. The zines are easy-to-read, with small bites of information, plenty of graphics, and many interactive elements, such as questions for reflection or things to look up in the Bible or other sources. The first thing that many people notice is that there are no formal lessons in the zines themselves. The lessons are contained in the Teacher Guide. Each lesson’s activities and discussions lead students to a deeper understanding and active application of the short texts in the zine. SIX ZINES ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE A Lamp to My Feet: An Introduction to the Bible Of Your Mystical Supper: The Eucharist Heaven on Earth: The Divine Liturgy For to Us a Child is Born (about the Incarnation of Christ and the Christmas season) • Journey through Holy Week • Journey through Great Lent
• • • •
The goal is to create a menu of topics for teachers and students to select for study. This will allow them to collaborate on the curriculum—the course of study—for the year. The zines also necessitate our approach to instruction. Information is easily obtained today. In fact, many people are overwhelmed by all of the information that can be found simply by Googling a topic. But what do we do with all this information? Sifting through it, understanding it, and applying it are the three educational challenges today. The zine, by presenting that which is most important and manageable for a learner, cuts through to the core of the issue, asks questions to assist in comprehension, and poses challenges for application of the topic to the learner’s life. • More about the zines: www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/religioused/zines • Recommended textbooks for each grade: www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/religioused/resources Religious Education Basics
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
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Fall 2010
What Your Child Should Know The Goals and Objectives of Education in the Orthodox Church
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hat should our children know about the Faith by the time they are ‘X’ years old?” This question, which is often asked of religious educators, is fueled by a number of influences: • Schools have expectations that their students should reach certain milestones at various stages in their education. Schoolteachers are expected to prepare their students to meet those points in the course of the year, usually because there will be some kind of test. • Education itself is goal-oriented. Educational performance is measured by the acquisition of certain objectives. Teachers and students want to check their progress. • Parents want to help their children in the learning process. Knowing the expectations and what the program hopes to accomplish is beneficial. The aim of education in the Orthodox Church is to nurture, instruct, and direct each member of the community of faith—the Church—in Christian living, or, as Orthodox writers typically call it, the life in Christ, so that each person grows “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) and become “a partaker of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Alternately stated, the goal of catechesis is for each person to become an icon, a living image of God, a person who lives in continual fellowship—communion—with God, reflecting a particular way—the Christ-like way—of knowing and living in the world. (A. Vrame, The Educating Icon, 1999, p. 63). This vision of education involves acquiring information but also involves living according to the precepts of that information. Thus, an Orthodox Christian ought to be well-informed about the rich content of the Orthodox Tradition. Being able to name, to retell, to identify, to list, and more are dimensions of what it means “to know” one’s faith. A Church school program should be able to transmit these concepts to its students. But knowing the Faith also involves being able to appreciate its
Religious Education Basics
Anton C. Vrame content, to consider how it influences one’s life, to participate in it, and to respond to its call of commitment to faith in Jesus Christ and His Church. For example, what is the benefit of reciting the Lord’s Prayer in a classroom setting, and a teacher’s assessment that the student has memorized it, without praying the Lord’s Prayer at home and reflecting on the words themselves? The real curriculum for learning the Orthodox Faith is the life of the Church as experienced in a dynamic, faith-filled parish. Our education in faith is a lifelong journey. The Department has created its textbook series with this in mind. Concepts become more involved and the number of stories increase as the learner progresses. Our textbook series is not structured such that it presents all of the information on a single topic at once, never to return to it. Instead, we revisit key topics, e.g., the Divine Liturgy, in an unfolding pattern of discovery for the learner These topics are presented in new ways based on the theme of the book and student’s maturity. We always hope for the best cisrcumstances—that child attends Church school faithfully, has a well-prepared teacher, and a family that is involved in the life of the Church, takes interest in the learning process, and reinforces the concepts at home—but this “looping” of crucial topics helps fill any gaps that may occur. Yet no Church school curriculum can include or teach everything. Any series of published textbooks is merely the first step of learning. Even in the best series, the authors, editors and publishers make choices about what they believe most valuable for learners to achieve in a certain timeframe. Of course, individual parishes and teachers add material, information (e.g., lives of saints and feast days) and activities that fit the needs of their parish’s students and ministries. Therefore, on our website, we have distilled our textbooks’ objectives, by grade level. Visit the “Resources for Supervisors” section of religioused.goarch.org for our specific answers to the perennial question: “What should my child learn in grade X?”
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
religioused.goarch.org
Planning Your Lessons
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hildren (and adults) are naturally curious. They have questions about God, the Church, and the world around them. They also want to know what the answers to their questions mean for their lives. One major task as teachers in the Sunday Church school is to create a learning environment that encourages questions to be asked and answered, opens up the sources of our Faith for study, and makes connections to the lives of the learners. A well-planned lesson is a key component in that task and includes the following: Objectives Each lesson you create should have objectives for the student. The best learning objectives are “behavioral,” that is, the student will demonstrate knowledge through some action that he or she performs. That means the objective should include an active verb, such as “name,” “list,” or “compare.” Too often, objectives include passive verbs such as “learn” or “understand,” which are too vague. One way to check your learning objectives is to include the statement, “The student should be able to . . .” before the rest of the objective. Another way is to ask yourself, “How will I know that the student has learned this idea? What will the student do to show me?” For example, how would you determine whether or not the students have learned the Creed? By their ability to recite it from memory—the same way they will apply their knowledge duing worship and life. So, the learning objective would be “Recite the Creed from memory.” And with something as lengthy as the Creed, you may need to be even more precise, dividing the Creed into parts, so that the learning objective for successive weeks would be “Recite part one, part two, etc.” until at the end of the unit the student is able to recite the entire Creed. Teaching the Lesson There are many methods of instruction that we can use in our lessons. Try to vary them as much as possible. This will increase student interest in the class. Repeating the exact same lesson format, week after week, can be deadly dull, prompting a student to “tune out” before a lesson has even begun. Since all of us learn in different styles—some through watching or reading, others through listening, and most of us through doing—we need to be able to engage the different learning styles of our students. Remember, we learn the most by doing and the least through passive activities, such as reading or listening. As in cooking, reading the recipe can teach us something, but actually cooking the meal will teach us far more. One week, do a Bible study; another week, have the stu-
Religious Education Basics
dents role-play the same Bible story. Have students work in small groups on a poster project about a topic from history. Then hang the posters in the church hall and have students explain their work during the parish coffee hour. Activities While Sunday Church school is not meant to be a weekly arts and crafts fair or game show, students enjoy activities in class. Games and art projects should reinforce concepts being taught and not just fill the time. So, for example, making a quiz show out of the facts being taught is fun for the students, but it can also become a way for you to determine how much students are retaining from lessons. Music The Orthodox Church is a musical church, filled with hymns and melodies that have come down to us through the centuries. Teaching the hymns of the Church should be a regular part of Sunday Church school. Songs that fit the concepts being taught should also be included. Linking words to a melody is a time-honored way of increasing recall. How many of us could recite all fifty states without relying on the melody to the folk song, “Fifty Nifty United States”? Singing together helps build community, uniting people in song. One of the most powerful moments in the life of the Church is at the Resurrection service, when an entire congregation bursts into “Christ is Risen” as soon as the priest sings the first notes. There are other elements that you will also include in your written lesson plan, such as a prayer to open and close the session, new terms and ideas being introduced, announcements for the class, and the like. Even a well-planned lesson will not always go as expected. Perhaps someone will ask a challenging question that takes the lesson in an unexpected but meaningful direction. When these teachable moments happen, be ready to put aside the plan. Sometimes, things will move more quickly than planned, so you should always have a few backup activities that you can use to review previous material or expand on a new topic. A good planning tip is to have more material than you can possibly use in one class session. Do you have a lesson plan that worked really well? Why not share it with us and possibly other PRAXIS readers? E-mail us at tvrame@ goarch.org or bethborch@goarch.org. Also, to share ideas and information, join our “Orthodox Christian Religious Educators” group on Facebook.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
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Fall 2008
Appealing to Every Type of Learner Incorporating the Theory of Multiple Intelligences in Religous Education Classrooms
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very person—child or adult, wealthy or poor—learns differently and deserves a classroom experience that addresses his or her preferred learning style. However, implementing teaching methods that appeal to multiple ways of learning is not always an easy task. To make the greatest impact, teachers must know what those different learning styles are so they can better meet their students’ needs. Howard Gardner, a psychologist and professor of education at Harvard, developed the theory of multiple intelligences as a way to categorize how humans learn. His books Frames of Mind and the more recent Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons have changed the way many educators think about teaching. Gardner devised a list of eight intelligences that all humans possess but use to varying degrees: • • • •
Verbal–linguistic Visual–spatial Logical–mathematical Musical–rhythmic
• • • •
Bodily–kinesthetic Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic
This can explain why some people prefer to work alone or in groups, express themselves through movement, learn using visual aids, or tend to think critically. Development of each intelligence is based on both genetics and environment. Individuals may be strong in more than one area. The following are Gardner’s eight multiple intelligences as well as examples of how they can be applied in the religious education setting. Verbal–Linguistic
People who easily learn languages and can write and speak well are associated with having a strong verbal–linguistic intelligence. Their ability to express themselves in this manner allows them to accomplish whatever goals are set before them. Careers associated with this category include, but are not limited to the law, writing and public speaking. The use of this intelligence can be included in the religious education environment in a variety of fashions. For example, when teaching children various liturgical hymns, share the cultural spectrum of Orthodoxy by having translations of the hymns in multiple languages during instruction. Other feasible avenues to complement this intelligence include assigning children to read aloud from the Bible, having projects that involve class presentations and encouraging participation in the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival (see the Department of Religious Education Basics
Stephanie Mardigian
Religious Education’s website, religioused.goarch.org, for more information about the Oratorical Festival). Visual–Spatial
People with a strong visual–spatial intelligence learn best through visualization or observation. They are better able to understand a concept if they can see it in front of them in some fashion, in either two or three dimensions. Observed items can include: icons, liturgical items, charts, maps, flyers and bulletin boards. Some individuals who fall into this category are sculptors, illustrators, designers and surgeons, as they all tend to work well with both their eyes and their hands. The second part of this intelligence focuses on individuals who prefer to organize items spatially such as navigators, costume-makers and those who enjoy putting puzzles together. In the classroom, incorporate art by displaying or making icons. Have a student pretend he or she is a tour guide in a city or country that is being focused on in a lesson. Allow children to pretend they are architects, and have them design an Orthodox Church to test their knowledge of traditional church layouts (e.g., narthex, nave, soleas, altar, Pantocrator and iconostasion). Other applications of this intelligence include allowing for photo-taking opportunities, illustrating a prayer, learning to make prayer ropes and making mixed-media collages. Relate the images in the collage to the focus of the lesson for the day. Logical–Mathematical
Individuals who have developed the logical–mathematical intelligence, such as scientists and mathematicians, are able to handle long chains of reasoning. They are resourceful when it comes to problem-solving and logically analyzing situations. Although there are few opportunities to incorporate scientific and mathematical thinking into a religious curriculum, activating this intelligence is not impossible. In the classroom, appeal to children who find strength in using this intelligence by presenting them with questions that will allow them to think critically, such as asking, “What would you do in the situation that Jesus was in?” It’s also important to focus on developing a class routine that children can easily conform to. This method can appeal to a wide variety of age groups. For older classes, a basic class session may include a prayer, offering collection, religious instruction and follow-up activities. However, younger children may have other areas such as story time, snacks and music. However simple or complex the routine, make sure it best suits the age group being taught.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
◆
Winter 2011
Musical–Rhythmic
Intrapersonal
Those who are strong in this intelligence, such as performers, musicians and composers, appreciate various forms of musical expression. They have the capacity to recognize and interpret different sounds and rhythm. Unfortunately, this intelligence tends to be pushed aside in many school classrooms because educators are at a loss about how to incorporate musical expression into their lessons. Fortunately for religious instruction, this does not have to be the case. In the Orthodox Church we are blessed with beautiful hymns. Incorporate singing or chanting these hymns into a lesson, or teach a unit on Church hymnology in which singing is a part of every class. Challenge the students to write their own songs or poems on a given topic of study. Since these suggestions may not be feasible for younger children, have religious music playing in the background during craft or snack time, sing a Bible song related to the lesson of the day, or make an effort to sing and learn a simple liturgical hymn.
People with detailed and accurate self-knowledge have been motivated to develop their intrapersonal intelligence. Understanding their personality, emotions, motivations, strengths and weaknesses tends to be prioritized. Working independently and being motivated to set personal goals are common traits of people with this intelligence. Although these individuals may seem to be on the reserved side, they are usually conscious of how to apply what they learn to their lives in order to further accurately develop self-awareness. In the classroom, provide opportunities for reflection in an in-class journal assignment, or ask questions that allow for critical thinking and reflection both during and outside of classroom instruction. Allowing time for children to work independently on a given task would work here as well.
Bodily–Kinesthetic
The bodily–kinesthetic intelligence entails the use of one’s body or parts of the body to complete a task. Incorporation of this intelligence provides children of every age an avenue to release their energy after sitting for extended periods of time. This could be something as simple as reaching to the ceiling and bending down to the ground, or having transitions from one activity to another by having the class do movements such as skipping, galloping and hopping. To appeal to this intelligence during religious instruction, have the class make the sign of the cross, put the words of a prayer to dance, or act out the lesson for the day in a dramatic production. Interpersonal
Individuals who possess a strong interpersonal intelligence are typically outgoing and comfortable with group interaction. They are tuned in to the emotions, desires and motivations of the people around them. One of the easiest ways to incorporate this intelligence is by providing opportunities for peer interaction with partners or groups. Because not all children thrive when working with others, begin the year with an ice-breaker activity to establish a sense of community in the classroom. It’s important for children to feel comfortable working with others. Once a sense of community has been established, it’s time to incorporate activities into the curriculum to enhance this intelligence. For example, when discussing the importance of icons, have one student (perhaps one who is also a visual– spatial learner) pretend he or she is an iconographer while another student plays an interviewer who is interested in learning more about iconography. Or, at the end of a unit, have a review game where students work in teams to answer trivia questions. If these are not feasible, allow time for small groups to meet and discuss questions that pertain to the lesson for the day. Religious Education Basics
Naturalistic
Naturalistic intelligence is well-developed in those who show interest and appreciation for nature and the environment. Specific areas of interest or study may include botany and meteorology. More generally, individuals who are attracted to farming, gardening and studying the weather tend to have a more-developed naturalistic intelligence. To appeal to this intelligence in the classroom, take a field trip outdoors to explore and interact with God’s creation. If a field trip is not feasible, bring the outdoors inside. Use natural items such as sticks and leaves for crafts, or plant a window garden to witness the fruits of God’s creation. When reviewing Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, reenact the story using real palms. Make Adam, Eve and the animals out of PlayDoh. While discussing the miracle of Jesus healing the blind man, provide real clay and reenact the story using a toy person. Even the most experienced educator would find it difficult to appeal to every intelligence in a single lesson. However, an attempt should be made to incorporate each intelligence when appropriate throughout the year to give all students an opportunity to learn how they learn best. Incorporating this theory into the curriculum personalizes education and shows the children that they are the priority. Stephanie Mardigian is pursuing a Master’s in Teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University. She attends Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Richmond, VA. She can be contacted at mardigiansm@vcu.edu. RESOURCES • H. Gardner, Multiple Intelligences: New horizons (Ebrary Reader) • S. Seider, “An Educator’s Journey toward Multiple Intelligences,” Edutopia, www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-theory-teacher • M. K. Smith, “Howard Gardner & Multiple Intelligences,” The Encyclopedia of Informal Education, www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
◆
Winter 2011
Teacher Self-Evaluation Tool As we finish each school year, it makes sense to reflect on our efforts: How are we doing? How can we do better? Phyllis Meshel Onest, Director of Religious Education for the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, prepared this self-evaluation scorecard. A thoughtful assessment can produce some valuable changes for the next school year. Share this with all the teachers in your parish and compare notes now, Name
Y/N
while the memories are fresh and while there is time over the summer to plan and implement improvements. Perhaps a teacher’s retreat would be a good opportunity to brainstorm, share ideas and work on common difficulties. Remember to acknowledge areas of strength and congratulate yourself on your dedication and service to the community.
Year
Note
CLASSROOM
Grade
Y/N
Note
1. Is the room an appropriate size for the class?
1. Uses the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese curriculum appropriate for this grade.
2. Is there enough lighting for reading?
2. Uses a lesson plan.
3. Are the room temperature and air circulation comfortable?
3. 4. 5.
4. Is the furniture the correct size for the students? 5. Is there too much or not enough seating for students and all teachers and helpers? 6. Is the room cluttered with non-class-related items? 7. Are there window treatments (blinds or curtains)? 8. Is the display on the bulletin board relevant to the unit or liturgical season?
7. Uses various teaching methods: lecture, large or small group discussion, cooperative learning exercise, student reports, etc. 8. Considers the different ways students learn when presenting the lesson.
10. Are the furnishings arranged to encourage participation? 11. Does the classroom provide a stimulating environment conducive to learning? 12. Is there an area for prayer? On the wall, on a table, or on a shelf? 13. Is there a window in the door for youth protection purposes?
9. Aware of the vocabulary level of the students. 10. Sits at eye level with students. 11. Makes good use of classroom time. 12. Offers an activity for the first students to arrive (if their arrival is affected by where they sit in church & the time they receive communion).
14. Are resource materials visible?
Note
13. Makes use of icons, pictures, music, storytelling, games, etc. 14. Gives students coloring sheets or worksheets from textbooks while in class. 15. Helps students understand the content of the lesson.
TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP 1. Develops good relationship and rapport with students while maintaining discipline. 2. Creates a safe and loving environment for students. 3. Creates atmosphere of mutual respect with students. 4. Maintains control by using appropriate methods of discipline. 5. Avoids “put-downs” when opinions or ideas are different from others.
Lesson has measurable objectives and they are fulfilled. Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the lesson. Teaches to the age of the students and knows what to expect of them.
6. Teaches Orthodox concepts and beliefs.
9. Are the walls used for posters, displays, etc.?
Y/N
TEACHING STYLE & METHODS
Y/N
Note
TRAINING 1. Professional teacher. 2. Attended teaching and religious education workshops. When?
6. Listens to the students.
3. Completed teacher training provided by parish.
7. Affirms students for sharing and cooperating.
4. Completed or continuing the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Teacher Certification Program.
8. Plans ways to involve students. Religious Education Basics
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
◆
Spring 2011
Summer: A Time to Grow, a Time to Plan
A
nother year of Sunday Church school has ended. The certificates and gifts have been awarded and the supplies have been packed away. Naturally, everyone is ready for a well-deserved break. Summertime, though, is a time to plan for next year and a time to grow as a teacher. Like your backyard garden with flowers and vegetables, summer can be a very productive time of year. With some planning and a little labor, you can prepare for a good harvest in the fall.
registration Sundays in June and July and place your textbook order early.
Time to Plan Review. Over the summer, spend some time reviewing what went well in your class or program and especially what did not go as well as you thought it would. Was there an activity that really well? Were there lessons that flopped?
Time to Grow Read. Select one book on the Orthodox faith to read this summer. Check out your parish bookstore or order from one of the various Orthodox publishers’ websites. Check past issues of PRAXIS for book reviews, too. Summer is your time for growing and deepening your knowledge of the faith. Connect. Get together with the Church school teachers in your parish. Enjoy time together; have some fun; get to know one another better. You work together, and it’s important now and then to play together. Include your spouses and children if you can. Worship. With Sunday school on hiatus, you can now attend
Look ahead. Will you be able to do everything the same next year as this year? Start with your calendar. Will there be an important parish event around the time when you need to organize Christmas pageant rehearsals? You may have planned for five weeks on a topic last year, but this year can only arrange four. Or you may need six. In 2012, Lent begins February 27, and Easter is April 15 (one week later than Western Easter). Don’t let it sneak up on you! Shop. For all of all these new ideas, check the craft shops and bookstores for sales, especially when the back-to-school rush begins. Order. If you are a supervisor, order your supplies from the Department of Religious Education early. Hold some pre-
services, focusing on prayer, thanksgiving and worship. The first two weeks of August, of course, are a time to focus on the Virgin Mary, observe the fast, attend the Paraklesis services, and celebrate the Feasts of the Transfiguration and then the Dormition of the Theotokos. Attend. Plan to attend Orthodox Institute 2011: Scripture through the Lens of the Holy Land, November 3–6 at Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA. This religious education event is sponsored by the Antiochian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Archdioceses, the Orthodox Church in America and the Orthodox Christian Education Commission. Presenters include Fr. Thomas Hopko and Maria Khoury. (For more information, visit www.antiochian.org/christianeducation/oi2011.)
Religious Education Basics
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education
PRAXIS
◆
Spring 2009
School Year & Event Calendar MONTH
DAY
EVENT
COORDINATOR(S)
Liturgical Calendar 2011 – 2012 September 14 November 21 December 25 January 6 February 2 February 5 February 27
Elevation of the Holy Cross Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple Nativity of the Lord Theophany Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee (Triodion begins) Great Lent begins (Clean Monday)
March 25 April 8 April 15 May 24 June 3 August 6 August 15 September 8
Annunciation of the Theotokos Palm Sunday Great and Holy Pascha Ascension of the Lord Pentecost Transfiguration of the Lord Dormition of the Theotokos Nativity of the Theotokos
Fall 2011 Curriculum Planning CLASS
TEACHER
Unit Lesson Date Lesson Topic
ROOM
Textbook Pages & Supplements
Spring 2012 Curriculum Planning CLASS
TEACHER
Unit Lesson Date Lesson Topic
ROOM
Textbook Pages & Supplements
Lesson Plan CLASS
TEACHER
Lesson Date
Lesson Unit & Title
Liturgical season, feast days, name days, birthdays, upcoming events? Textbook Pages & Supplements Additional Materials Learning Objectives Students will . . . •
•
•
New Vocabulary •
•
•
Opening Prayer / Hymn Lesson Content & Activities Closing Prayer / Hymn
ROOM