My Broken Fiat
  • Blog
  • About / Contact Me
    • My 'Reversion'
    • Why "MyBrokenFiat?"
  • The Archive
  • Prayers
  • Blog
  • About / Contact Me
    • My 'Reversion'
    • Why "MyBrokenFiat?"
  • The Archive
  • Prayers

Frustrated and Failing

10/24/2005

5 Comments

 
Picture
So I had my CCD class again tonight. 

As my title implies, I am frustrated.  I'm also failing my kids.

Argh.  This is driving me up a wall. 

I'm supposed to be dedicating my Tuesday nights to delving into the Old Testament and the history behind our most revered Catholic traditions.  I'm supposed to be explaining the link between Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac and God's Sacrifice of Jesus.  I'm supposed to be teaching these kids why the Passover of Moses prefigured the Passover meal of Christ that we celebrate at each and every Mass.

Instead, I'm repeating concepts that should've been addressed in 1st or 2nd grade... TO NO AVAIL.

I'm starting to feel almost frantic.  We're now more than a month into classes and these kids haven't even touched their text books.  How can they?  They wouldn't have clue one what was in them because they have absolutely NO FOUNDATION with which to understand the material! 

I just... I don't know what to do. 

For October, we've been tackling the Rosary.  Do you know most of my class claims they've never had a rosary before?  Some had never seen one! 

THIS IS SIXTH GRADE!

How did they go six years without seeing a rosary???

Gah!

And their prayers.  Oh Lord... help me!  These kids don't even know their prayers!  Apostle's Creed?  What's that?  Prayer to their Guardian Angel?  Pfft... what the heck are those?

I am so heartbroken over how badly we've taught our students.  I'm heartbroken over how little schooling their parents have done regarding their faith.  And I truly feel overwhelmed with how little time I have to begin filling in the missing pieces.

So I've been doing what I can.  I've broken down things to their most basic levels.  Sign of the Cross, the Trinity, Our Lady's role in leading us to Christ.

But still they look at me glossy-eyed.  Still they come to me week after week with the same questions on the most basic aspects of our religion.

Today, during a quiz, I had SIX students (out of my 14) ask me what Christians were.  SIX!  And another 4 couldn't tell me that Jesus was Jewish.

Bah.

It's not their fault.  If anything, I feel like it's mine because I'm apparently not doing a good enough job explaining these basics to them well enough that they understand them from week-to-week.  I have to admit, though, that I just can't believe they're this lacking in their Catholic formation.  I just can't.

My plan of action is to simply keep going.  If I don't get to this year's lesson set, I guess I won't get to it.  I'm going to have to talk to my DRE about this.  What good is explaining those higher-level concepts to them if they don't understand the foundation for which they're meant for?  So I'll keep searching out the cracks and filling them in with all I've got.  I want these kids, if nothing else, to understand that we have a God who loves us, who created us to be His family, who provides for us as a loving Father, who can and will punish us as a loving Father should, and who will eventually call us home as this Earth is only a temporary proving-grounds. 

I want them to understand this.  I want them to see the proof of this throughout Salvation History... throughout the motion of Divine Providence in their own lives.  I want to give them the tools with which to SEE Divine Providence in action for themselves so that they can give thanks for it and help it along through their charitable deeds for others.

I want them to be proud of their faith.  I want them to know how very blessed they are to be part of the Church. 


To do that, they need to know God.  And too many of them simply do not.  Too many of them think of Him as this old man in the sky who sent a baby boy to create Christmas trees and angels for us.  We don't really need to think about Him until we're about to die.  He's not really active in our lives.  He's far away and He's busy with other things... other people.

I want to teach them that they are - each of them - the most important thing God cares about. 


It seems so simple, doesn't it?

*Sigh*


5 Comments
Bee
10/23/2012 08:09:00 pm

Oh boy, I feel for you. I taught CCD for four or five years, and experienced the same thing. So I began praying each week before class (5 minutes) that the Holy Spirit would fill them with Divine Inspiration and would guide me in saying the right things in the right way, that I would teach what they needed to know. The problem I had was some kids were up to speed at the grade level, and others were like you describe, can't tell you what a Christian is. I would spend about 1/2 our time in review of basic teaching, such as Ten Commandments or Eucharist (2nd grade stuff) then try to connect current grade level understanding (as you say, Abraham/Issac prefigure Jesus) in the other half. But I, like you, felt the basics were most important. As for knowing God's love for them, and that a loving God, like a loving parent, holds us accountable for our transgressions, much of that I left to God Himself. I often asked Him to teach them through me, and beyond our class time. I placed them in His hands. It seemed to work.

Reply
Nicole P.
10/24/2012 02:19:58 am

As our pastor likes to reiterate almost every Sunday, all learning starts at home. There's no way for you to teach your lessons if they're not being supported at home. Eli's only 2 and a half, but she has a rosary and can almost say her Prayer to the Guardian Angel by herself. Parents- and teachers- can't expect miracles if children aren't getting these lessons at home! Are the children required to go to Mass every week? I think it would be a huge help if they were. The RE kids here are required not only to attend, but sit up front WITH THEIR PARENTS so that our pastor, Father T, can address the homily directly to them every week.

I definitely feel for you at this point. I can tend to be biased since I, like you, went to Catholic school, but even if I hadn't, we went to Mass every week and recognized all these basics. I'll pray for your students and you :)

Reply
Kathryn H.
10/24/2012 09:21:15 am

I agree with Bee. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct your lessons where they need to go for the specific children you have. Also, never underestimate the impact of little things. Holy cards, Rosary leaflets with pictures they can take home, answers to basic questions. I taught first grade for a few years. Children love to get their questions answered, and they love stories. As kids get older, it's especially important that they learn that there ARE answers to questions about life and faith. Talking to you, they will learn that they can ask and that the Church has answers. That will be really important as they reach high school.

In the movie "The Song of Bernadette," the pastor gives the children holy cards as a reward for good schoolwork. He keeps Bernadette's because she hadn't studied. At the end of the movie, he gives the adult Bernadette that holy card, and she says, "You have no idea how much this means to me." Reminders of our faith have a big impact on children. You never know what your kids will remember in the future and what turns out to have been important.

Reply
Dom
10/24/2012 01:25:05 pm

Sweetie, you're not failing them. You're trying to fix the issues that OTHER people failed them on, and there's only so much you can do in an hour when you're trying to make up for however many years. Keep plugging away; at least they have a hope of the essentials with you!

Reply
Suzanne Wilhelmi link
10/28/2012 10:20:40 pm

I posted on your Facebook but I will also mention here that the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an amazing way to teach the faith. Look into it - pray about it and check out this blog a friend of mine has started http://seekingtheplanofgod.blogspot.com/

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Top Rated Entries

    My Darkest Secret

    Do Animals Have Souls?

    10 Things a Parent of an SPD Kid Wants to Say

    Fun and Easy Lenten Crafts

    Tattoo Taboo

    Blessed Mother as Intercessor

    Loss of Life

    Women Priests II

    Animal Sacrifices

    Render Unto Caesar

    Veiling

    The Godparent Poem

    Broken Friendships

    Miscarriage Reflection

    NYT Anti-Catholic Ad

    Categories

    All
    180
    Abortion
    Adoption
    Adoration
    Adultery
    Agnosticism
    Angels
    Animals
    Annulment
    Apparitions
    Art
    Atheism
    Bahamas
    Baptism
    Blessed Mother
    Blessed-mother
    Blogging
    Books
    Boycott
    Breastfeeding
    Bullying
    Cafeteria Catholic
    Cafeteria Catholics
    Cats
    Ccd
    Celibacy
    Chaput
    Children
    Christmas
    Churches
    Confession
    Conscience
    Contests
    Contraception
    Cookies
    Corapi
    Crafts
    Creation
    Cross
    Defense Of Faith
    Depression
    Divine Mercy
    Divine Providence
    Divine-providence
    Divorce
    Dolan
    Donation
    Dreams
    Easter
    Education
    Eucharist
    Euthanasia
    Evangelization
    Family
    Feasts
    Food
    Forgiveness
    Free Will
    Friendship
    Fun
    Gaza
    Guest Post
    Hat Tip
    Health Care
    Heaven
    Hebrew
    Hhs
    Holy Week
    Homeschooling
    Homily
    Homosexuality
    Illumination
    Incarnation
    Incorruptibles
    Indulgences
    Infertility
    Inspiration
    Intentions
    Intercession
    Intercessions
    Interview
    Islam
    Jewelry
    Kidney
    Komen
    Language
    Lawsuit
    Lbm
    Lent
    Lightbulb Moments
    Liturgy
    Mandate
    Marriage
    Martyrs
    Mass
    Media
    Medjugorje
    Mercy
    Mexico
    Miracles
    Miscarriage
    Moderation
    Moses
    Motherhood
    Music
    Myla
    Nuns
    Old Testament
    Parenting
    Parishes
    Pedophilia
    Pentecost
    Persecution
    Personal
    Philadelphia
    Philly
    Pilgrimage
    Planned Parenthood
    Poetry
    Politics
    Poll
    Pope
    Prayer
    Pregnancy
    Priests
    Prophecy
    Propoganda
    Purgatory
    Question Box
    Quick Takes
    Random
    Recipes
    Reflections
    Relics
    Religious Freedom
    Reviews
    Ridiculous
    Rosary
    Sacrament
    Sacrifice
    Saint
    Saints
    Scandal
    School
    Science
    Seed
    Sewing
    Sexuality
    Sin
    Social Issues
    Social Issues
    SPD
    Spiritual Dryness
    St Anthonybd986ec1d5
    Steubenville
    Suffering
    Tattoos
    Terrorism
    TLM
    Triduum
    Trinity
    Trust
    Twa
    Vatican
    Veiling
    Veils
    Vincent
    Visionaries
    Wedding
    Women Priests

    Pages I Stalk

    A Woman's Place
    Dymphna's Road
    Having Left the Altar
    Fr. Z @ WDTPRS
    Spirit Daily
    These Stone Walls
    St. Joseph's Vanguard
    Catholic Sistas
    Catholic Icing
    Liturgical Time
    Traditional Latin Mass
    Shameless Popery
    Life Victorious
    Catholic Dads
    S'aint Easy
    Truth, Beauty and Goodness
    The Way Out There
    Written by the Finger of 
       God
    Little Catholic Bubble
    So You're a Church Musician
    There and Back Again
    Make It - Love It
    St. Monica's Bridge
    Seeking Renewal 
    Picture

    Archives

    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    December 2010
    October 2010
    October 2005

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2021