Q&A with Dr. Joseph White

We’re sharing the time, talent and treasure of Dr. Joseph White with you, our readers. Send your questions to webmaster@osv.com. We will publish as many as possible on this site.

Dr. White is a clinical psychologist and former parish leader. He is the author of several books on catechesis and a national consultant to Our Sunday Visitor. He works as the Director of Catholic Family Counseling and Family Life in the Diocese of Austin.

Dear Dr. White, can you give me some pointers on how to involve my parents?

Begin communication with parents even before classes begin! Ask for a roster of your students with their parents’ names listed including phone numbers and addresses. Send an introductory letter. Present an overview of your plan for the class. Tell them a bit about you. Take advantage of “open house” events to meet parents and open lines of communication. Make sure you’re available to speak with parents before and after class, even if it’s just to say hello or share a nice/humorous/smart thing his/her child did during class. If you want to have a great impact, consider a parent newsletter to go out periodically or plan a family event during class time or even outside of class time. Also, make it clear to parents that you have an “open” classroom. With this and all your ideas, discuss first with your director of religious education.

Dear Dr. White, I have a very impulsive child in my class. Help!

St. Peter had qualities that Jesus recognized would do him well in leading our Church; yet, Peter was also quite impulsive. Jesus knew how to channel Peter’s enthusiasm and determination to everyone’s benefit. Mold your “St. Peters”:

• Make some classroom rules about paying attention and following directions. Make these positive rather than negative.
• Create a multisensory learning environment.
• Be enthusiastic yourself, and keep moving!
• Provide positive reinforcement.
• Stay out of the power struggle. Stay calm. (It may be helpful to visualize the situation as involving you and the child working together against the problem behavior, rather than you and the child working against each other.)
• Solicit help from parents.
• Pray, pray, pray.

Dear Dr. White, I teach first graders. A child asked what mortal sin was but my book does not address mortal and venial sin. Why not, and what answer should I give to this child?

Children’s understanding of the concept of sin is very limited until about age seven, when their thinking becomes more rule-based and logical. For this reason, most catechetical texts wait until second grade to introduce the concept of sin as a component of preparing children for the sacrament of reconciliation. Distinctions between mortal and venial sin are typically not discussed at this time, however, because children this age have great difficulty understanding this distinction and are very unlikely to commit mortal sin.

In situations where answers to questions children ask are likely to overwhelm them, it is best to respond very briefly. In more instances than not, the brief reply will satisfy them and any further questions they may ask will help to clarify their real quandary.

Dear Dr. White, our area is welcoming increasing numbers of non-whites into our community. How can I best guide my catechists to respond to this change?

As catechists, we must be conscious of the needs of the various diverse groups we serve. We may encounter linguistic differences, diversity in practices of popular piety, and a diversity of viewpoints that arises from different cultural perspectives. There is no simple way to achieve cultural competence in catechesis, but it begins with a spirit of oneness, an awareness of one’s own culture, and a willingness to listen and learn from others. When we learn to welcome one another as we would welcome Christ, we learn to appreciate our differences as gifts.

 Dear Dr. White, I just learned that I will be welcoming a child with a reading disability into my faith formation class. How can I respond to this situation well?

Welcome this opportunity to grow together, you as a catechist, your class as a community. First and foremost, listen to the family of this new child. Learn well what his or her difficulties are. You may wish to do some research on learning modifications that are commonly effective for children with reading difficulties. Again, however, it is important to remember that each individual is unique, and we must never assume that we know what a person with disabilities needs without first listening to that individual and his or her family.

Dear Dr. White, I don’t want to do anything that would invite behavioral issues in my class. Can you give me some tips to nurture good behavior?

It is excellent to look toward preventing disruptive behavior; you are one step ahead! There are many things you can do to nurture good behavior. Use positive reinforcement. Make sure your catechetical atmosphere is warm and inviting – clear, orderly, colorful, interesting. Give kids plenty of room between one another. Plan activities of short duration so attention spans are not tested. Use a variety of activities that appeal to multiple senses. And know your students: do some research on what is typical for the age you are teaching.

 Send YOUR questions to Dr. White to webmaster@osv.com.