What Every Catechist Needs To Know

I taught CCD for 16 years and some have asked me, “What does every catechist need to know?” Well, I’m no expert, but over the years as a special education teacher and as a catechist I have experienced a lot and have seen a lot and I try to learn from my mistakes and that of others. Here are a few things that I think every catechist should know about or do:



1. Catechist Training- Most dioceses and/or parishes require some kind of catechist training before they can teach a class each year. By providing assistance and training to all catechists before CCD starts it will prepare the catechist so they can be an effective teacher. Certified catechist should also participate in the training because no catechist can know everything and they could also benefit from new ideas and activities. Suggestions of what can be in the catechist training is posted.



2. Know The Curriculum- To ensure consistent progress and development the catechist must read, study, and learn the curriculum. A good lesson depends on how well the catechist understands the material. Providing essential information about the curriculum will help the catechists build their lessons on a strong foundation. The training should provide a concise overview of the curriculum and how to use it properly so the catechist will know what to do.



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



4. Get Parents Involved and Have a Contact List- Give detailed information on how parents can get involved in their child’s faith education and how they can volunteer at CCD.

Have an Introductory Letter To Parents. It is a great idea to take the opportunity to introduce yourself by welcoming the child and the parents in a letter the first day of CCD. It provides the parents with information of what is expected in the classroom and what the children will be doing during the year. It can also inform parents of the expectations and rules of the class that will help in making the classroom productive, creative, and enjoyable year for all (this can be a separate page that parents must sign and return to you). Teachers can also ask if parents are interested in volunteering and for any information that can help aid them in better understanding their child and their needs.

Provide Volunteer Sign Up Sheets for parents interested in helping at CCD. Volunteers in the classroom can be a blessing IF done correctly and IF it is planned ahead. Nothing is worse than having a volunteer not know what to do or be in the way. Here are tips that should be done to have a good volunteer program in your classroom.

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.

Have the parents fill out a Class Contact List to obtain information that can help aid the catechist to understand their child’s needs and how to contact them.



5. 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.



6. What Makes A Good Catechist- Tips on how to be a good catechist.



7. Know What Your Students Like To Do- The key to being a good catechist is knowing what your students like to do in CCD. Here are some tips and suggestions for activities to do in the classroom that are age appropriate.



8. Prepare Your Classroom to enhance your student’s learning.



9. How To Access Your Students’ 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. Here are a few suggestions for your students to do that might come in handy reading comprehension and assessment activities and How To Review Material.



10. 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 is crucial in a classroom and all catechists must know how to keep disruptive behavior down to a minimum. When establishing classroom rules you should identify behavioral expectations for your classroom to promote a positive environment. 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. When behaviors become a problem in a classroom an effective strategy is to implement a behavior contract.

What is the key to success when teaching CCD?

Organization is key to keep students attentive and to keep discipline problems down to the minimum. Always, always. always have a predictable routine that you follow EVERY week. That way your students will know what to expect and there will be less behavior problems.


Welcome- Greet each student and parent. Welcome them to class each day.


Assigned Seating- Name tags on the desk works best so students won’t wander around the classroom and get into trouble. You will probably have to move students around from time to time according to how they get along with others. Having assigned seats and seating chart to use also helps the substitute teacher and you learn the students names and it is easier to take attendance.


Attendance- Take attendance each week.


Bell Work- Bell Work is class work that students are doing when the bell rings. It is always the first task the students do. Many teachers use Bell Work to keep students busy and occupied when they first come into the classroom. It can also be used when students have finished their regular work a little early. It will help these students not to rush through their work when they have a challenging activity. Rules of Bell Work and What To Do For Bell Work


Classroom Behavior Expectations- When establishing classroom rules you should identify behavioral expectations for your classroom. For each expectation you need to identify management strategies to address the expectation while promoting a positive environment in your classroom. As much as possible, keep your management strategies simple and to the point. Remember, to have effective classroom management you need to familiarized all your students with your classroom rules the first day of class and post them in a place where all students can see them. Classroom Behavior Expectations- What to consider before you write your classroom rules


Lesson- Having a well thought out and well planned lesson helps the students learn to their fullest potential and keeps behavior problems down to the minimum. What should you include in your lesson plan? Your lesson should contain a detailed, step-by-step description of how to do the lesson and achieve lesson plan objectives. This includes all the activities the teacher will have the students do.


Need more ideas? What Every Catechist Needs To Know

What Should Catechists Do To Teach The Faith Effectively?

Need some suggestions and tips to be the best catechist you can be? Here are some great ideas that you can use in your classroom!


The Catholic Toolbox- What Every Catechist Needs To Know

sarajcreations.com- Classroom Management Tips For The Religious Classroom

thereligionteacher.com- 6 Classroom Management Strategies for the First Weeks of School

thereligionteacher.com- Effective Ed-Tech And No-Tech Teaching Strategies for Classroom Engagement

Super Catechist- Best Practices for Teaching Religion

thereligionteacher.com- Using Inductive Teaching Strategies To Get Students’ Attention

thereligionteacher.com- Get A Free Copy of the Religion Teacher’s Guide to Lesson Planning
The Religion Teacher’s Guide to Lesson Planning provides a framework for lesson planning and 250 essential activities and teaching strategies that will save valuable hours planning lessons and provide a treasure chest of ideas that will last the whole year. This free eBook provides a step-by-step process to lesson planning that anyone can easily implement.

What Makes A Good Catechist?

When you volunteer to be a catechist you must take it seriously, it is not a job to be taken lightly. By becoming a catechist you have made a commitment to teach students the best you can and that doesn't mean being a slacker and only doing a mediocre job. When you volunteer to be a catechist at your parish it says you will be responsible for that class for the year. That means you need to have lesson plans and activities ready each time your class meets. That also means a catechist will be on time and will know the material. All too frequently some take a nonchalant attitude about being a catechist. Remember you volunteered to be a catechist and they are counting on you to be there and do your job well.



What makes a good catechist?


• When a catechist needs to be absent you follow the procedure for being absent that is written in the catechist handbook that you signed to verify that you understood what your responsibilities are and the rules that you must follow. Contact the appropriate personnel when you find out when you will be absent ASAP. When you are absent and you do not notify others this causes disruption and poor learning with the students. When you notify the DRE and co-teacher prior to being absent it allows them to make other arrangements. Nothing is worse than not having a teacher show up and a lesson has not been planned. Other volunteers who are supposed to be doing something else and not your job will have to scramble and try to come up with a lesson and teach your class. Utter chaos will result and your students will suffer the consequences from your inconsiderate actions. The catechist should also have all necessary items and suggestions (lesson plan, Substitute Teacher Packet, tips, etc.) ready for the substitute so they can do their job efficiently and effectively.


• Always arrive at least 30 minutes before your class starts. To enhance your students learning prepare your classroom. A well organized catechist and classroom is a must. Without it, your students will not learn to their fullest potential.


• Use a wide variety of engaging activities that enable all your students to be actively involved in the class. Do imaginative and creative activities that add excitement to your lessons. Make sure the activity fits your students and emphasize the lesson and the objectives of what you want your students to learn. When you complete 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? How To Review Material- Try to incorporate a game to review the material in your classroom. There are lots of ways to review. Here are some games I use quite frequently since the students enjoy them so much and they really help to review what we have been doing in class.


• Use the textbook as a resource, not as the sole source of learning. No curriculum is perfect and teachers need to supplement with activities to help teach their students. Using various resources provides your students with a variety of activities that helps enhance the lesson and allows them to understand more and have a lot of fun in the process.


• Engage in efforts to deepen your knowledge of the faith and grow spiritually. No catechist can know everything and by going to workshops, retreats, classes, studying Catholic literature, etc. can help broaden your understanding and learn new ways of teaching.


• Be prepared and know the material. Know your subject. Read, study, and learn. A good lesson depends on how well the catechist understands the material.


• Have prepared and well planned lesson plans. Before you do anything you must plan and prepare. Having a well planned and prepared CCD class is essential. Without this your students cannot learn to their fullest potential. A well planned and prepared lesson plan will also help to avoid possible behavior problems that could arise in your class as well. A thorough and thought out lesson plan should include various elements to promote good learning.


• Consistently model the behavior you expect of your students. If you want your students to be good Catholics, you must act accordingly. By modeling and living the Catholic way of life it will reinforce proper behavior for your students.


• Teach what you are supposed to teach. The subjects should include the Church’s liturgical and sacramental life and moral teachings. You should also cover the topics that are in your curriculum so your lessons will flow accordingly with next year’s class activities.


• Have Class Rules and keep disruptive behavior down to a minimum. Go over your Class Rules thoroughly with your students so they will understand them. Every classroom needs rules so that the class can run smoothly and effectively. 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. To achieve this is to keep disruptive behavior down to a minimum. And always have classroom behavior expectations and go over them with your students the first day and post them where the students can see them.


• Be fair. Never show favoritism. Treat each student the same.


• Work well with others. That includes the priest, DRE, teachers, helpers, parents, students, etc.


• Obtain information from parents and have training for all personnel if you are having a special needs child in your classroom. 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. Seeking the advice and assistance of the child's family is the most important factor in learning how to teach a child with special needs. A training session of all personnel that comes in contact with the child should be conducted before the student starts CCD to focus on identifying supports the student needs and how to implement them.


• Assess students regularly. Test according to their abilities and how they work best. Use various ways to assess what they have learned. Be sure to review all material prior to testing.


• Get parents involved in CCD. Without parent involvement in CCD their child will not learn to their fullest potential.


• Assign homework that reviews previously learned material and is relevant to the objectives of the lesson. Homework should not be busy work, it should reinforce the lesson. Have assignment sheets and grade sheets to help keep students organized and parents up to date. Or use an Agenda Book/Student Planner to help students develop sound organization skills that will teach them a successful lifelong journey through school.


• Explain what you want your students to learn in ways that they understand the material. Take into account the unique needs of your students or how they learn best to make your lesson as effective as possible.


• Use technology in your classroom that enhances the lesson and learning of your students. What is effective and needed for your classroom depends upon your students and what is available for the catechist to use. Whatever equipment you are using it must achieve your learning objectives for your lesson. Always have the equipment ready before class and know how to use it.


• Catechists keep all information confidential. Anything you know and hear that is personal about anyone, including the students is kept confidential.


• Catechists follow and sign the guidelines and rules set forth by the diocese and/or DRE. If there are not any, the DRE should write up some guidelines for the catechists to sign to verify that they understood what their responsibilities are and the rules that they must follow. Be sure include in it an absenteeism policy and what they are supposed to do when they are absent.

It is a good idea to have a Catechist Handbook to acquaint volunteer catechists with the policies and procedures in the Religious Formation Program. The Catechist Handbook will clearly define what the responsibilities are for the catechist and the procedures that they are to follow.



What kind of catechist are you?