I wanted to give a shout out to Hannah at Transformed in Christ.
She’s writing some awesome stuff on catechetics.
I just found her online early in the summer and then met her at the St. John Bosco Conference in July!
Being from Maryvale Institute in England, she definitely speaks my catechetical “language”!
Hannah recently wrote this great post on the Ecclesial Method. This is the lesson planning structure taught in the Franciscan University Catechetics department.
This post talked about the first part of the method, preparation. It’s a technique for transitioning your students from the busy-ness of life into the classroom. From the secular to the spiritual.
The importance of preparation
The Ecclesial Method is drawn from Mgr Francis D. Kelly’s book The Mystery We Proclaim.
Hannah writes:
“Mgr. Kelly suggests that our guiding principle should be “calculated disengagement”. When people arrive at catechesis, they come from a full range of different situations. We need to help create the conditions in which people can open their heart and mind to God’s Word.”
“This environment is deliberately different from the environments they have come from: busy homes and timetables, constant noise and numerous demands. It implicitly states: Catechesis is something different – it is not just more learning like the rest of your day – here you are coming to listen to what God wants to tell you.”
How to use calculated disengagement
All catechists should be familiar with the Ecclesial Method.
These principles are essential for developing a methodology that serves the content. It lets the content drive the teaching instead of the other way around. This is vital for effective catechesis.
Calculated disengagement is an essential strategy for preparing your students to learn. This is especially true for Catholic elementary school teachers that shift from one subject to another without breaks or changes in class periods.
Catechesis is not just another subject and should not be treated that way. Telling your students to put away their math books and open their religion books without any kind of preparation or “disengagement” from their other subjects imparts that idea.
For CCD teachers, calculated disengagement has equal priority.
The kids come into the religion classroom carrying any number of distractions and worries from the outside world. The preparation disengages them from the outside world through various exercises like silence, prayer, meditation, journaling, Bible reading and “Liturgies of the Word.”
This technique is also very effective for preparing adult classes in RCIA.
Catechetical takeaway
Catechesis is more than education in the Faith. So, it should be conducted in an atmosphere of prayer.
Calculated disengagement focuses your students on learning the Faith. It transitions them from the secular and orients them to the spiritual.
Check out Hannah’s post for more info on calculated disengagement and read her follow up on the second part of the method, proclamation while you’re at it.
And go subscribe to her blog! Not only does she have some awesome things to say regarding catechetics (Maryvale and Franciscan are like two sides of the same catechetical coin), she’s British and says cool stuff like “sullied about” and “cobbled together.” 🙂
Marc,
Great post about the first step in the ecclesial method. I will be sure to check out Hannah’s blog. I seek to share this idea of calculated disengagement with our parish catechsits. It is so important because we want those we catechize to be docile to what will be proclimed to them; we want them to be ready to hear that proclamation of the good news but must help get them disengaged from the busyness of what has happened before they have arrived as well as help prepare them for what will be taught so that they will not merely hear what we say but be drawn in and inspired by that particular teaching of the day. I often share with catechists that we have to do more than pray a quick opening prayer at the beginning of our classes. I share with them that there is a better way – we want to draw our students into the mysteries of Christ not just “get through” a lesson with the little time we have with our students.
This is an important concept all around. It’s especially difficult in CCD classes that are using someone else’s classroom, like in the grade school for instance. The class has all kinds of other stuff besides religion on the walls. It might be a science class or a math class. The environment is so NOT conducive to religion. So, it’s vital to set the mood and create a prayerful, spiritual atmosphere that disposes the students to learning about God. And, not only learning about him but receiving him. Yes, it should be more than saying a quick opening prayer and then trying to get through the lesson.
I think this concept takes on a whole other realm of importance for religion teachers in school! Our actions can say a lot to the students. If religion is mixed in, or even crammed into the schedule, without thought of calculated disengagement, the environment will be one of learning facts, not opening yourself to receive the Lord in a greater capacity.
Thank you Marc!
Haha… don’t you people say “cobbled together”?!? I’m glad you like my British (*proper*) English 😉
All – you are welcome at Transformed in Christ any time!!
You are very welcome Hannah!
I love having another blog out there that’s speaking my catechetical language, even though it’s done in proper British English. 😉 It will be great to bounce ideas off each other.