Classroom Tips

What Every Catechist Needs To Know- Here are a few things that I think every catechist should know about or do

What Should Catechists Do To Teach The Faith Effectively?- Suggestions and tips to be the best catechist

What is the key to success when teaching CCD? Tips for success

What makes a good catechist?- Tips on how to be a good catechist

What do students like to do in CCD?- Here are some tips and suggestions for activities to do in the classroom that are age appropriate

Bell Work- Rules of Bell Work and What To Do For Bell Work

How To Get Your Students To Do Their Homework & Turn It In On Time- Tips and suggestions

What To Do When The Curriculum Isn’t Working- You have a curriculum and it doesn’t work with your students, what do you do?

What seemed to be the most difficult problem in your CCD class this year?- Tips & suggestions

Co-Teaching- How to be a good co-teacher



What To Do Before CCD Starts:

Planning Ahead For CCD- What should be done before CCD starts

Catechist Training- How to prepare the catechist so they will be an effective teacher and the students will want to come to CCD

Preparing Your Classroom- What to do to enhance your student’s learning

My Top Ten Must Have Items For CCD- To have a safe and educational classroom here is a list of what you need for CCD

Craft Storage Ideas- If your craft supplies are getting out of hand, here are some ideas for storing them



How To Access Student Progress:

Assessing Student Progress- Since students learn in different ways, they must be tested in different ways to find out if they have learned the information taught in class

Reading Comprehension & Assessment Activities- You gave your students a reading activity from the class textbook, but how do you know they understood the material? How do you assess your students to see if they learned the information taught in class? Most teachers give various worksheets or written tests asking questions about what they read or learned, but that can become repetitious and boring for students. So what can a catechist do to make sure their students understand the material?

How To Review Material- You just completed a chapter with your class and you need to review it to make sure your students understand it and/or get them ready for a test. What should you do? How can you make it interesting and fun and the students will learn?



Discipline:

Having a well behaved classroom is critical for proper learning. For the students to learn to their fullest potential they need an environment that is quiet, without distractions, and organized.

Discipline in the Classroom- How catechists can not lose control of their classroom

How To Keep Disruptive Behavior Down To A Minimum- Tips & suggestions

Classroom Behavior Expectations- When establishing classroom rules you should identify behavioral expectations for your classroom to promote a positive environment

Good Behavior Classroom Strategies & Games- Catechists must also use good behavior classroom strategies and games which is an approach to help manage classrooms behaviors with rewards to children for displaying appropriate on-task behaviors during instructional times

Behavior Contracts & Behavior Charts- When behaviors become a problem in a classroom an effective strategy is to implement a behavior contract



Parent Involvement:

Introductory Letter To Parents- What should be in the letter and an example of one

Classroom Newsletters- are an excellent way to keep in touch with parents and help them be a part of their child's education. Parent’s love to know what is going on in their child’s classroom and frequent and regular class newsletters enable parents to sense the feeling and momentum of the class and gain insight into what their child is learning.

Parent-Teacher Communication Forms/Letters/Templates- Communication with parents is key to having a good CCD classroom. Here are some forms/letters/templates you can use in your classroom.

Parent Involvement in CCD- How to get parents involved in the CCD program

Parent Volunteers in Your Classrooms- How to have a good volunteer program in your classroom

How To Improve Church & CCD Attendance- Here are suggestions that might be helpful



Special Needs:

What Do You Need To Do When You Have a Special Needs Student in Your Sunday School Classroom?- What preparation should you do to help this child learn to his/her fullest potential?

Staff Training for Special Needs Students- Have staff training for the special needs child BEFORE CCD starts

Special Needs Students: Information to Gather From Parents- When a special needs child is assigned to your classroom, be sure to gather information from the parents about their child before they come to class to help with the transition of their child into the classroom

Decorating & Organizing Your Classroom: Considerations For Children With Sensory Processing Disorders- Sensory Considerations When Teaching And Setting Up The Classroom

Inclusion of Special Needs Students in Your Classroom- What you as a catechist must do to enable your special needs student to participate in the classroom. You must also find out how you can best meet the student’s needs so they can learn to their fullest potential.

Social Stories for Church- to help a child with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) understand cues and actions for specific social situations

Visual Schedules- Having a chart or visual schedule displayed of what they are going to do and activities in advance can provide security and keep inappropriate behavior down to a minimum. This technique can also be used to prepare for any change in the normal routine.

Special Needs Ministry- ideas and resources