Thinking about how to improve your family catechesis? Here are a few ways to approach strengthening your existing programs through guided at home interaction and engagement!
Flipping the Classroom
Try texting or emailing short videos with poignant messages related to the weekly session topic. Include a couple of questions to gauge students understanding of the content and ask what they would like to know more about. Finally, include a question for parents and children to talk about prior to your session. All of the responses can be addressed during your actual session!
Flipping Sacramental Parent Meetings
Like the procedure above, send a survey to parents asking what they understand about preparing children for sacraments and what they would like to know. Ask about fears, doctrinal understanding, examples the parents may offer at home and include suggestions of family activities!
Flipping Adult Education
Along with preparing content for adult sessions, consider sending a flip before each session. With adults, you may include longer video segments that might typically be viewed during the session. Include a number of questions for reflection to inform and activate prior knowledge about the topic. Include questions seeking questions about the topic they might have. Again, by reviewing responses prior to the session catechists can adapt their teaching by limiting instruction on what is already understood and include more information based on the questions participants offer. In addition, include a family activity for parents to do with children when applicable!
Flipping Summer Sessions
As a convenience to families with children in sports that tend to conflict with classes during the school year, or to simply offset high enrollment or limited space during the school year, many parishes offer a two-week summer session of grade level catechesis. Due to the intensity of covering so much content consider sending the eBook of the text home a week or two prior to the beginning of the summer sessions. Include a couple of primer questions or video overview of each day’s session to be completed and viewed before sessions begin. That way the content has been introduced offering the opportunity for both parents and students to become familiar with and reflect upon the content.
Flipping Follow Up
After any of the sessions above, you may reinforce at home discussion by sending a recap of the lesson with follow-up discussion question. This will ensure that students recall what has been covered and that parents are aware of what the learning objectives are!
Related Posts:
The Best Kept Secret for Effective Messaging
Flipped Classroom: What Every Catechist Needs to Know
PS – If you like what you see here please share with your friends and subscribe now to receive weekly posts from Transforming Catechesis!
Be First to Comment