"A Christian should be an Alleluia from head to foot." - St. Augustine
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Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols A Tiber River Review

January 9, 2013 By

Mike Aquilina’s Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols is a quick read that provides a comprehensive foundation for further investigation into Christian symbolism. I was given a review copy of the book before a family trip that included many museums full of medieval art, and I found it to be a helpful overview for me and my older children.

Signs and MysteriesAquilina excels at writing about the early Christians in a way that makes them seem like long-lost relatives. This book is informative without being too academic in tone for a popular audience. As he says in the introduction, “This is not a work of scholarship, but an act of devotion – an act of piety towards our ancestors, so that we might learn to see the world once again with their eyes, and to pray and live as they once prayed and lived.” I enjoyed the mixture of testimony from Church Fathers, detailed illustrations showing replicas of actual Christian art, and citations from other contemporary sources.

Each chapter is a short overview of a symbol, exploring its roots in Jewish or pagan culture and showing how it was given new meaning by the early Christians. It’s a great way to learn more about the diverse groups of early Christians, including the Copts in Egypt and the earliest Jewish converts. I learned about several symbols I wasn’t aware had Christian meaning, like dolphins and peacocks, and Aquilina includes intriguing details like the hidden meaning of the “Sator Arepo” square.

Books like this one are a great way to start breaking open the central ideas of our faith. Christian symbols can be the “hooks” that draw us into a deeper understanding of a particular teaching, or allow us to see new spiritual insights in familiar images. I think this would be a great component of a course on either art history or the Creed – it’s short enough to be read in one sitting but organized in a way that makes it easy to refer to a specific chapter if you happen upon a symbol in a church window or a painting that is unfamiliar. I’d recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about the early Church. My middle schooler found it pretty easy to understand, so I would say it’s appropriate for young adolescents on up, although that’s not to say it wouldn’t be perfect for adults as well.

I wrote this review of Signs and Mysteries for the free Catholic Book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Aquinas and More is the largest on-line Catholic bookstore.

I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Filed Under: Art For the Sake of Grace, curriculum, Things I read, Tiber River Reviews

Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints ~ Catholic review for Tiber River

October 31, 2012 By

AblazeI knew I’d enjoy Colleen Swaim’s Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints just by the cover. (Yes, there’s a saying about that.) It’s contemporary and engaging without screaming “STORIEZ 4 TEENZ.” Just like Coleen’s writing.

I enjoyed learning more about familiar saints while also being introduced to several saints I hadn’t heard of before, particularly those canonized in the past couple of decades. Swaim has included saints whose lives can be tied to familiar themes for young people today – family conflict, physical violence, sexual immorality. Her writing is subtle in showing the grace at work in each saint’s life without becoming preachy.

The saints included in this first volume are:

  • Saint Dominic Savio
  • Saint Teresa of the Andes
  • Saint Kizito
  • Blessed Chiara Luce Badano
  • Saint Stanislaus Kostka
  • Saint Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception
  • Blessed Pedro Calungsod
  • Saint Maria Goretti

Each biography is bookended with a Scripture passage, memory verse, “Saintly Challenges,” and space for journal writing. I liked the use of photographs and the focus on saints from around the world. The suggestions in the “Saintly Challenges” are pretty clever, such as when Swaim suggests that you could “strive to really listen to the other person in a conversation, striving not to cut him off or monopolize the discussion,” in imitation of St. Dominic Savio.

I originally purchased this as a resource for my 10-year-old, but the “mature content” of some of the stories means that I will be waiting a couple of years to share the book with him, although I may read some of the stories aloud to him. Some of the saints either died very violent deaths or encountered graphic sexual violence, and these aspects of their lives are handled with candor without being overly sensational. St. Maria Goretti’s story, with which many readers may also be familiar, is told frankly enough that for a younger child unfamiliar with the concept of rape it would require an explanation. The book is geared towards teenagers, though, so it’s not that I don’t think these subjects should have been included; just something for parents to consider when evaluating the age-appropriateness of the material.

I would recommend this book as a Confirmation gift or as supplemental reading for seventh graders and up, based on the content, although I myself found things to contemplate as a much-older-than-teenaged reader. It’s poignant to read about these lives that ended so soon and how strongly these young people adhered to their faith, often without the support of their families. It’s also an excellent window on global Catholicism to learn about the lives of saints from India, Uganda, and the Philippines. I’m excited to see that Coleen has a new book out and I’m looking forward to adding that to our library, as well.

For an excellent interview with Colleen Swaim, check out Nancy Piccione’s Q&A, where Colleen addresses the scope of the book:

My goal throughout the process was to seek out saints of both genders who are representative of the worldwide vitality of Catholic youth lived to incredible heights. With some saints and blesseds, that meant scouring Vatican resources for newly recognized individuals, while others fell into my lap through the recommendation of a friend of a friend. I tried to include both classics and those who I felt Americans need an introduction to, and I believe the book succeeded on those fronts.

I agree! Very nice to see this slim-but-substantive collection of biographies that speaks to the challenges that modern teenagers face.

I wrote this review of Ablaze for the free Catholic Book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Aquinas and More is the largest on-line Catholic bookstore.

I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Filed Under: catechist chat, Tiber River Reviews

A Basic Approach to Guiding Your Child’s Reading

August 16, 2012 By

“All good parents – homeschooling or not – expend all the resources they can on their children’s education. With homeschooling, you do so more directly.”
- Laura Berquist

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a talk given by Laura Berquist, author of Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum. Mrs. Berquist is a homeschooling mother of six who oversees Mother of Divine Grace, a homeschooling program in the Catholic tradition. Her talk gave me a lot to think about, particularly in terms of revisiting the “bare basics” of our own curriculum.

By “curriculum” here, I primarily mean “math plus trips to the library,” although we do use a few other formal materials. In general, though, we’re fairly unschoolish around here. I consider a day to have been a success, schooling-wise, if we’ve done math and then the kids spent a few hours reading. Granted, we aim higher than that, but given my own unpredictable schedule as a working mom and my general tendency towards procrastination, I need that baseline understanding of “what we MUST do today” in order to make sure we’ve stayed somewhat on track.

Guide your child's readingA big thing I’ve neglected is to formally structure my children’s reading time. I do supervise their book choices at the library and supplement them heavily with materials I’ve chosen for them. And occasionally I make them memorize a poem or a quotation. But it’s all been pretty random, most of the time. I haven’t done much by way of formally focusing on teaching my children to comprehend what they read.

Mrs. Berquist argued that the most important activity for children is structured reading; she does this with Bible stories, primarily, but it seems to me that this approach could work with any vitamin-enriched reading material. The basic structure – and she explains it more fully in her talk (available in PDF format) – is as follows:

Day 1: Read to the child (or let him read) a specific selection you’ve chosen
Day 2: The child tells you what he read and you write it down, pretty much verbatim. “But, if the time sequence is wrong, I’ll ask a question about it, trying to jog his memory, and if I have to, I’ll just tell him the correct sequence.” Composing the summary is not as hard as the physical act of writing it down, so by separating the two, you are letting the child focus first on recalling what he’s read.
Day 3: The child copies what you wrote “The finished product is truly his work, both in terms of composition and the physical act of writing, but the two parts of the process have been separated. Additionally, we have employed imitation, which is the earliest natural form of learning.”
Day 4: Have your child illustrate his story, which entails re-telling it in a different mode

The final product is “a well-done composition of their own making.” It is a very efficient use of time because you accomplish so much in that amount of time through non-standard writing activities.

This is so simple, isn’t it? That’s what I need – a very basic structure so I can tell myself, “okay, this is Tuesday, so it’s time for the retelling of yesterday’s story.” And it’s also extremely flexible, as you can choose whatever reading material you’d like for your child to focus on. Best of all, it really doesn’t take that much time, particularly once kids are reading on their own.

So, this year, we’re adding this component to our homeschooling weekly routine. I’ve got lots more good stuff from Mrs. Berquist’s talk that I hope to share in a future post, though. I’m curious – for those of you who do read-alouds regularly with your kids – either as part of homeschooling or to supplement what your child is learning in a traditional school setting – what are some favorite books you draw from?

Filed Under: catechist chat, Homeschooling

A Transformative Weekend ~ The Maryvale Institute's Diploma on Sacred Art

July 16, 2012 By

Before we begin, let us first consider the elements to which the author has applied the descriptor “transformative” in the past seven days:

  • 85% Dark chocolate
  • Evernote
  • Vacuum-seal travel bags
  • Greek yogurt
  • Mint-infused simple syrup as basis for mojito (Y’ALL.)
  • Steam mops
  • Buc-ee’s

Therefore, it could be argued that the description of the diocese of Kansas City’s course on Catholicism and the Arts as “transformative” employs a term deprived of any sense of meaning by its hyperbolic application to any and every new experience enjoyed by the author.

Having accepted this premise…

YOU SHOULD GO. You should go next summer, when they are going to offer the course again, and you should become steeped in the wisdom of the ages.

Look at all this wisdom of the ages:

Taking notes with Evernote

 

I had expected an immersion in how to understand Christian art – what do the numbers symbolize, what’s that flower in the corner supposed to mean, how come Mary wears blue, that kind of thing. And the course certainly will include discussion of the traditional language of Christian art through various styles. But this class, in particular, does so within a context of how we can rediscover and reestablish a Christian approach to art in the modern world.

So much of the material we discussed is percolating in the back of my mind right now, and this weekend was only the beginning. The weekend seminar I attended was the launch of a year-long distance learning class offered by the diocese of Birmingham (England’s) Maryvale Institute in conjunction with the diocese of Kansas City. Attendees had the option of just coming to the initial weekend to enjoy the classes and conviviality with fellow artists and, uh, appreciators of art (yours truly).

I’ve elected to take the full course, which should take a year to complete. The class is intended to form catechists in understanding how to draw upon our rich heritage of sacred heart for evangelization and for our own devotion. The Maryvale Institute is a Catholic distance learning college offering programs in catechesis, theology, philosophy, and religious education:

Part-time distance learning means that students can follow stimulating and complex courses of study leading to publicly-recognised awards whilst maintaining their existing vocational, family and work commitments. In this way the Institute gives new possibilities of access to formation and to the immeasurable treasures to be discovered in the Christian Tradition and in contemporary Church teaching and thought.

Oh, there’s so much more to say, but for now I’ll just tell you to MARK YOUR CALENDAR for next July, so that you may attend this – yes- transformative event. And great thanks to everyone involved from the Maryvale Institute and the diocese of Kansas City.

Filed Under: Art For the Sake of Grace, catechist chat, Culture

Catechist Chat: Substitute Survival Skills

March 7, 2012 By

Sometimes, as educators, we have to do things that make us uncomfortable. Set aside our nervousness, our need for control, our desire for a safe and predictable outcome.

In other words, we have to substitute teach.

I remember when I was in Teacher Grad School, and our professor was giving us all sorts of helpful tips for managing behavior, planning engaging lessons, etc. I raised my hand and asked, “Do you have any specific for suggestions for being a substitute teacher?”

She looked me straight in the eye: “Never sub.”

I have a friend who is a permanent substitute teacher for a small school district, and she’s terrific at it. She has an easy rapport with the students, she gets them to do their work, and she has fun with it all. She enjoys the unpredictability of getting to visit a new classroom every day and she thrives on the challenge.

I couldn’t do it. I get so nervous when I’m subbing, EVEN if the students are MY OWN STUDENTS. At one school, we all covered one another’s classes during our planning periods when needed, because there was no budget for substitute teachers. So occasionally I’d be monitoring a room full of students I’d just seen for 55 minutes in my own classroom. I *still* felt apprehensive. I just like to have a plan, going in.

(I also have to say that it was far more often the reverse – my fellow teachers having to cover my classes – because I was both pregnant and migraine-attacky all year long. I still owe them my appreciation and probably a batch of cookies.)

It’s probably my perfectionism that makes it so stressful for me, and I’ve certainly gotten more laid-back about it. (Here I do not mean “perfectionism” as code for “it’s because I’m so awesome.” It means “I labor over minute details that are irrelevant to the big picture.”) I’ve also learned a few things along the way:

1. Try to learn the kids’ names. You won’t get it right. They know that. Show some effort. I like to repeat the students’ names one after the other, then keep starting at the beginning. “Carlos. Carlos, Amanda. Carlos, Amanda, Mikayla. Lawrence.” Even though you’re just going to be there for one day or one hour, making the effort gets things off to the right start. Use humor. If you don’t know a student’s name, make up a ridiculous name from the planet Randomia. Look the child in the eyes as you attempt to remember his/her name. It helps.

2. Break the ice. Amanda Brunet at Suite101 provides some clever ideas for getting to know your students as a substitute teacher. I particularly liked this one:

Unique Quirks
At the beginning of class, the substitute teacher can ask each student to write down something unique about himself on a small piece of paper. Subs can provide their own personal examples such as: “I like to eat pickles and peanut butter” or “I have sky dived three times”.

Teachers then collect the pieces of paper and place them in a hat. Throughout the class time, the sub can pull out each piece of paper and read it out loud. Students should guess which unique quirk belongs to each classmate.

The suggestion to space this activity out over the course of a class period is great, as it helps you dangle a carrot in front of the class periodically to remind them “okay, let’s stay on task for another ten minutes and then we’ll try to guess some more of the quirks!” You would, of course, want to make sure you read through all of them in advance yourself…especially if you’re teaching middle schoolers.

3. Follow the lesson plan. Sometimes, you’re subbing because the teacher suddenly collapsed in the break room with chills and fever, and the lesson plan is “I don’t know, because she was going to write the lesson plan for today during her lunch break but then she started to feel nauseated.” Fair enough – we’ll come back to that. But often, there’s at least some semblance of a lesson plan. Follow it, and don’t make comments about the caliber of what they’ve been assigned.

4. Be ready for the unexpected. Perhaps there is no lesson plan.

Bring a book to read aloud to the students – something with lots of voices and action, that will hold their attention.

Take a set of logic problems – most kids enjoy these (along the lines of “There is a room with no doors, no windows, nothing and a man is hung from the ceiling and a puddle of water is on the floor. How did he die?”) and they can easily be turned into a class discussion activity with students raising their hands to make guesses.

Have some kind of prizes/rewards handy. I have lamed out on this the last few times I’ve subbed, and resorted to giving quarters to the winning team in Jeopardy. It was ridiculous, and yet – they were motivated. (Stickers are a perfectly adequate reward.) (I also promise them “thirty thousand imaginary dollars” in instances where I am truly unprepared to give any semblance of a reward.)

5. If it’s not working, change the plan. Last week, I tried to do a game of Make Your Own Bingo as a review with a class of second-graders. They were very excited about it, but I realized that I hadn’t allowed enough time. They were still painstakingly writing words from the chalkboard on their papers when I decided to scrap that plan. They…were displeased.

You can go with this, or you can go with thatSo I stood them all up and announced we were going to play a game called “This Way, That Way.” An awesome, incredible game that I…would make up on the spot. Awesome.

“I’m going to give you a clue and two possible answers. You stand on the side of the room you think is the right answer. Ready?” (It helped that this classroom had a large open space up front with a rug.)

“This word means the special super-food for your soul that you receive through the Sacraments. If you think the answer is ‘grace,’ go stand over here. If you think it’s ‘Psalms,’ go stand over here.” Patter of little feet, keep it moving, keep it moving. We went through 20 vocabulary words in five minutes. Was it the most in-depth, profound review experience of their young lives? No. Did thy pay attention? Did we salvage those last 10 minutes of class? Yes.

So – how about you? Do you like subbing? Fear subbing? Got any good tips?

Filed Under: activities, catechist chat, Scrutinies

Catechist Chat: Drumming Up Enthusiasm - Part 1 in a Series on Multiple Intelligences

March 1, 2012 By

It doesn’t take a veteran teacher to recognize that each child – and adult – is unique. And what works with one person won’t necessary work with another; we each have our own talents, and we each find joy in different ways. Being able to tap into these differing abilities can really transform your approach to  religious education- whether in a classroom setting, a presentation to a group of adults, or even a homeschooling setup.

My favorite way to think about this is based on Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. Back in MY day, he’d only identified seven. Now he’s up to eight, but the overall point remains the same: individuals display intelligence in different areas, which can be roughly categorized as follows:

  • Linguistic: learning through reading and writing
  • Logical-mathematical: Reasoning, patterns, and numbers
  • Spatial: Visualizing with the mind’s eye
  • Musical: sensitive to sounds, rhythm, tone, and music
  • Bodily-kinesthetic: Learning best by “doing” and physical activity
  • Interpersonal: Learn best by working with others; enjoy cooperative learning; comfortable with leadership
  • Intrapersonal: Deep understanding of the self; strengths and weaknesses

Since my time in the trenches (a.k.a., grad school), he’s added:

  • Naturalistic: Relate to the natural world and observe their surroundings
And there’s been discussion of a need to also include:
  • Existential/spiritual: Contemplate the deeper meaning of experiences and life
  • Moral: Ability to apply reasoning to moral decision-making, particularly in terms of the sanctity of life

In catechesis, we’re about the business of expanding folks’ existential/moral intelligence, or at least tapping into that, right? So I’m going to focus on how the other eight can be useful in coming up with different lessons, etc. that can grab students’ attention in new ways.

Serious drumming skillz

This guy has insane amounts of musical intelligence

I’m going to start with Musical, because that’s my favorite. Well, not really, but it would be boring to start with Linguistic or Logical-Mathematical, wouldn’t it? Because that’s what we usually think of when we think of “teaching.” Talk at students, they write things down, they take a multiple-choice test with maybe an essay tacked onto the end, and presto: teaching. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

But before you say “I can’t carry a tune to save my life*,” I ask you: Can you say the Our Father?

You can, can’t you?

Let’s say it together;

Our

Father, Who Art

In Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy

NameThyKINGDOMCome…what? Isn’t that how you say it? No?

Right – we all say it in the same cadences, don’t we? Our liturgy is full of cadences; we chant the Psalms in rhythm, we teach our children their prayers to a certain meter, we’re all about music even if we are afflicted with tin ears.

I find that most kids, especially adolescent boys, respond very well to activities that incorporate music. Take advantage of this by including activities like:

  • Listening to hymns and talking about what the words mean
  • Memorizing a prayer by breaking it down into phrases
  • Learning to chant parts of the Mass
  • Write a song – or change the words to a popular song – to teach someone about a basic concept you’ve learned in class.
  • Listen to different settings of parts of the Mass and think about how the music reflects the meaning of the words – this is an activity I really enjoy doing with students, because there are so many beautiful orchestral settings of the Mass.

Howard Gardner himself said:

I don’t believe because there are eight intelligences we have to teach things eight ways. I think that’s silly. But we always ought to be asking ourselves, “Are we reaching every child, and, if not, are there other ways in which we can do it?”

And so I’m not saying “out with books, in with Rap!” But supplementing what you discuss in class with an activity that allows musically-inclined…or musically-enthusiastic – students to shine is a great way to get them engaged in what you’re teaching.

If you’d like to learn more about the theory – pros and cons – check out:

*Essay: Can you describe a situation in which your life would literally depend upon your ability to carry a tune? What would you do in said situation?

Filed Under: catechist chat, Homeschooling
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