Lessons Given, Lessons Learned (Not)

As I start my new 3rd Grade CCD (religion) or Faith Formation class, I thought of getting pumped up by recalling some memorable moments and quips said by my students in my class this past school year. During the first meeting last year, I gave this class an activity wherein I paired up the students and they then interviewed each other with questions like their favorite sports, food and what they liked best in their previous class.  For the last question, one student said honestly snacks!  Why not?  I might have said the same thing especially when it was an early nine o'clock morning class.

Now and then, I shared stories with them to drive a point or to inspire them. One time I attended a talk given by a lay missionary in Africa in which she mentioned that young girls there were not given opportunities to go to school. This actually
moved her to establish a school for them. When I told this to the class, I did not expect their reaction.  They were not shocked but actually exclaimed they were jealous wishing they had the same situation.  They felt it was so cool not to go to school. Oh well.

When I was teaching about the Eucharist, I told them what Fr. Tony experienced after his ordination when he said his first Mass at St. Louis de Merillac where he did his parish work experience when he was a seminarian. When he raised the host during the consecration part of the Mass, he felt his hands shaking.  Later on, a fellow newly ordained priest told him that when Fr. Tony raised the host, he saw instead a heart that was pumping.  Again I did not expect what one student said, "how creepy".  It is hard to comprehend the mystery of the Eucharist and to hear a story illustrating it is real is perhaps even harder to swallow for some of them.

In order to help them remember the Apostles Creed, I asked them to illustrate with drawings each of the statements in this prayer. One student hit a mental block when they were asked to draw God.  She said with all honesty that she has a hard time picturing how God is like.  I thought that was deep.  It showed she had been thinking and had reflected on this. 

One time I pointed to them that we should thank God for making us and the whole world. He made all of us because he or she loves us.  This same girl asked the proverbial difficult question "but who made God?".  That floored me and I was at a loss as to how to answer.  I think I said that there are things that we could not fully understand and have faith and believe.

As a teacher you second guess how you teach the lesson for that day.  I decided to teach the different parts of the Mass hoping they will understand them and pay more attention when they attend Mass.  For the activity I asked them to arrange the different parts, all 30 plus of them, in the correct sequence.  I wondered to myself as they struggled if I was pushing them too much and also if it would have an effect in their behavior during Mass.  I would know right away since we were attending Mass after class. I remember one guy sitting behind us in church wishing me good luck as I told the students to pay attention. They did not behave after all that lesson activity.  I actually was frustrated I broke a bit in tears during Mass.  But wait, good things take time.  The next time we attended Mass together I saw them using the Mass book and asking the location of the parts of the Mass in it.

During lent, part of the lesson asked what the class wanted to do as a project. One suggested "let us have a lemonade sale".  Okay.  I was open to it and asked to whom the funds raised would be given and they suggested the animal shelter and I also added the Ladies of Charity pantry.  I distributed the tasks and the next meeting they came with their assigned stuff.  During the day of the lemonade sale, I will not forget the scene when dollar bills were flying that windy day because they could not fit them into the two money boxes.  They raised 265 dollars!! Amazing.

I am not a craft type of person.  Thank God my assistant, Sue, was.  She helped the students make cards and art works that I donated to nursing homes.  One project, the mosaic crosses, actually graced the doors of the leadership team at CSJ Baden which I gave to comfort them when I felt their sadness when I attended the funeral of a member of their congregation.

I am glad I went through memory lane and recalled the sometimes unexpected delightful moments of my class last year,  I am now pumped up for this coming year.