My Classroom

I taught 1st grade CCD for 16 years at our parish. I loved it and I hope my students enjoyed it as much as I did. Alas, I had to give it up teaching CCD due to family and health reasons, but I will leave what I did in my classroom on my blog for others. If you have any questions, please comment and I will reply ASAP.



My goals for my classroom are to encourage prayer and guide my students to a deeper personal relationship with Christ. Students will learn how to live out their faith in their daily lives and grow in their own faith. To accomplish this I will integrate Scripture, Catholic doctrine and Tradition, and the Church’s social teachings into each lesson.



This is what we will do in my 1st grade CCD classroom during the year. (Please check below for more info.)

Introductory Letter to Parents- Provides the parents with information of what is expected in the classroom and what the children will be doing during the year.

Daily Class Schedule of what we do and in the order that we do them in class.



*Scroll down for these classroom activities for full explaination:

• Tentative Lesson Schedule for 2013 – 2014
• Homework
• Tests
• Prayers
• Monthly Classroom Newsletters
• Progress Reports




Lesson Schedule 2013 – 2014


*This is my tentative lesson schedule of what I hope to accomplish and do for the year.

*I will post a lesson plan for my class for each Sunday that we meet. They will be on my blog a week before each class with a link at each date to take you directly to the lesson.



August 25:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 1: People & Liturgical Objects at Mass
Lesson- Church and Respect

Lesson for 8/25/13



September 8:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 2: Entering the Church
Lesson- Creation

Lesson for 9/8/13



September 15:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 3: Opening Procession
Lesson- Adam and Eve

Lesson for 9/15/13



September 22:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 4: Greeting
Lesson- Noah’s Ark
Take Home Test #1

Lesson for 9/22/13



September 29:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 5: Penitential Rite
Lesson- Moses and the Bulrushes

Lesson for 9/29/13



October 6:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 6: Lord, Have Mercy (Kyrie Eleison)
Lesson- Moses Leads His People Out of Egypt

Lesson for 10/6/13



October 13: No Class, Columbus Day Holiday


October 20:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 7: Gloria
Lesson- Moses in the Desert

Lesson for 10/20/13



October 27:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 8: Liturgy of the Word Sequence
Lesson- Moses and the Laws of God
Movie- “Prince of Egypt” (last 30 minutes)

Lesson for 10/27/13



November 3:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 9: The Gospel
Lesson- Samson

Lesson for 11/3/13



November 10: No Class, Veteran’s Day Holiday


November 17:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 10: Profession of Faith
Lesson- David & Goliath
Movie- Veggie Tales: “Dave and The Giant Pickle” (25 minutes)

Lesson for 11/17/13



November 24:
Lesson- Advent Lesson Plan
Lesson- Mary and the Angel

Lesson for 11/24/13



December 1: No Class, Thanksgiving Holiday


December 8:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 12: General Intercessions (Prayer of the Faithful)
Lesson- Birth of Jesus

Lesson for 12/8/13



December 15:
Lesson- Wise Men
Movie- “The King is Born” (25 minutes)
Take Home Test #2

Lesson for 12/15/13



December 22 & 29: No Class, Christmas Holiday




2014

January 5:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 12: Our Gifts
Lesson- Jesus in the Temple

Lesson for 1/1/14



January 12:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 13: Preparation, Prayer, Dialogue
Lesson- Jesus is Baptized

Lesson for 1/12/14



January 19: No Class, Martin Luther King Holiday


January 26:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 14: Holy, Holy, Holy
Lesson- Temptation of Jesus

Lesson for 1/26/14



February 2:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 15: Consecration
Lesson- Fishers of Men

Lesson for 2/2/14



February 9:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 16: Mystery of Faith
Lesson- Good Samaritan

Lesson for 2/9/14



February 16: No Class, President’s Day


February 23:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 17: The Great Amen
Lesson- Loaves & Fishes

Lesson for 2/23/14



March 2:
Lesson- Ash Wednesday & Lent
Take Home Test #3

Lesson for 3/2/14



March 9:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 18: The Lord’s Prayer
Lesson- Sermon on the Mount/Our Father

Lesson for 3/9/14



March 16:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 19- Sign of Peace
Lesson- Palm Sunday

Lesson for 3/16/14



March 23:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 120- Lamb of God
Lesson- Last Supper

Lesson for 3/23/14



March 30:
Lesson- Holy Week
Movie- “The Easter Story”

Lesson for 3/30/14



April 6:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 21: Holy Communion
Lesson- Easter/Empty Tomb
Take Home Test #4

Lesson for 4/6/14



April 13 & 20: No Class due to Easter holiday


April 27:
Celebrating the Mass- Lesson 22: Final Blessing & Concluding Rite
Lesson- Mary is the Mother of Our Church
(Last Class)

Lesson for 4/27/14




Homework: To help reinforce what the students have learned in class.

At the end of every class each student will be given a Take Home Sheet for their parents to go over with them to review previously learned material that is relevant to the objectives of the lesson. Parents need to help their child fill this out and bring back to class the following week. Students that complete their homework and bring it back to class will be able to play Homeworkopoly.

The students will also make mini story books and/or story wheels in class. Students need to read these to their parents (or the parents read to them) the mini book and/or story wheel for homework.

Homeworkopoly- Is a fun way to encourage students to do their homework and turning it in on time.

In order for a student to play HOMEWORKOPOLY, he or she must complete their homework and hand it in to the teacher on time. This is how the student moves around the game board. If the student does not have their homework finished, they do not get their chance to roll the dice and move for the day. Throughout the year, day by day we keep the game going. By starting at the beginning of the year everyone gets into it and by the end of the year everyone is doing their homework regularly.



Tests: To assess the student’s progress and to let parents know how well they are doing.

We also have 4 take home tests during the year. Parents will need to help their child study, fill out the test, and return it to class. Students that bring back their completed test will be able to play HOMEWORKOPOLY. Attendance in class is needed to fully understand and do well on all tests.



Prayers: To promote student’s spiritual growth and their relationship with God.

My students are given 5 prayers (Sign of the Cross, Grace Before Meals, Glory Be, Hail Mary, and Our Father) to do by the end of the school year. Each prayer the student completes, they will be able to pick a prize from the prize bag.

*A "We Know Our Prayers" chart of all the prayers is posted on the classroom bulletin board to let students and parents know what prayers have been done and what they need to work on.



Monthly Classroom Newsletters: To keep in touch with parents and help them be a part of their child's education.

I will send home a monthly newsletter to enable parents to sense the feeling and momentum of the class and gain insight into what their child is learning. It is also a great way to keep parents informed and it strengthens parent/teacher communication.



Monthly Progress Reports: To inform parents of the progress of their child in class.

Each month I will send home a Progress Report to let parents know exactly how well their child is doing in class (work habits, attendance, prayers completed, etc.). I will also send home an Assignment Sheet each month to let parents know which assignments their child has turned in.