Good Shepherds

This semester, the Preschool announced a new religion curriculum scheduled to launch this fall. Four teachers are currently training in the Montessori methods of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a program of religious formation for our youngest students. Established in 1954 by Catholic disciples of the Montessori movement, Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi, the program has been adopted by over 1250 organizations in 37 different countries.

“I am so excited about this program. It’s just so simple,” said Pre-K2 teacher Georgia Tate. “It is a method of teaching children how to love God and how to enjoy God.” The foundational principle of the program is that even the youngest children have a unique relationship with God, and that the relationship’s growth can be assisted by an adult (but is directed by the Holy Spirit). The Catechesis provides space for teachers to present truths and practices of the faith, and for students to experience and reflect on those. “The program deliberately does not use the word ‘teaching,’ because you’re bringing students to an experience of faith. They prefer the term ‘presentations,’” said Georgia.

“Were not teachers in this – students are experiencing a truth, and Christ is the teacher,” said Pre-K4 teacher Samantha DeChiazza. “We just present it.”

Pre-K4 teacher Karen Lewis added, “We reflect with the child. We ask a lot of reflective questions, and the child comes to answers on their own. We sit and meditate on these ideas with the children.”

THE ATRIUM

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd centers around “the atrium,” a classroom designated exclusively for CGS presentations. “You get a wonderful feeling walking into the atrium. It’s a quiet environment made with natural, handmade materials. They’re wood, natural fabrics - not bright colors or toys,” said Georgia. Stations around the room present biblical stories or model parts of the Mass using tactile, child-sized materials. At one station, students receive the Gospel of Matthew’s parable of the pearl of great price and are able to re-enact the story with a model pearl, merchant doll, and toy house. Another station is set up as an altar, complete with chalices and ciborii and cruets, child-sized so students can handle each and learn their place in Mass. At another station, students learn about liturgical colors by dressing a model in a cassock. Yet another station shows the physical geography of Bethlehem, a three-dimensional map of mountains, deserts, and water.

In the center of each atrium, a station models the parable of the Good Shepherd with model sheep, shepherd and sheep-pen. “It’s the main idea of CGS,” said Karen. “How special every sheep is to the shepherd. How Christ the good shepherd meets your needs, and every sheep is cared for.”

The atrium changes with the liturgical calendar, so what students encounter in the atrium, they also see in Mass on Sunday. “The feeling of the atrium is very quiet, peaceful,” said Karen. “Students know when they come in that it’s a place of quiet. It’s not for running around, not a gym class,” said Samantha.

The teachers see an immediate need for the Catechesis. “We see this in Mass with our students,” said Samantha.

“A student asks why his kneeler is so low and he can’t see. Why is the priest doing this or that? During Mass, though, you want them to be quiet.” The atrium gives students space outside of Mass to learn about it, model it, and to ask their questions.

TRAINING

The teachers are currently attending monthly trainings in the Catechesis, partly classwork and partly time in an atrium. “We experience the atrium for ourselves,” Georgia said.

“We always start with prayer,” Samantha describes. “Our presenters model how stations are presented to children. We take the place of children; we actually get down on the floor.” The presentations help teachers understand what children think and how they respond when they experience stations. The teachers then document those presentations in journals called “albums.” Some of the classwork is simply learning how the Montessori method works.

“The core of this for each child is their relationship with the person of Christ, and how to make it accessible to them,” said Karen. “A child’s play isn’t play, its work. How do we turn that into something that deepens their faith? How do we go to their level and create an experience that impacts the child?”