"You make the sign of the cross so much you're going to cut yourself in two!"

Where I teach second grade religion is in a small city near my home. As anyone from a city knows there are many sights, smells and most of all, sounds associated with being in a city, no matter what the size. One of those sounds is that of sirens. Police cars, fire trucks, rescue vehicles and ambulances ply their trade up and down the streets at all hours of the day and night without regard to what is going on in the various houses and churches along their busy routes.

I have developed the habit, over the years, but most especially in the past few years, of crossing myself whenever I hear a siren and saying a little prayer for the preservation of the souls of those involved. Part of this stems from my own personal experience with ambulances coming to my house, (I have six children on a farm, need I say more?) and from a fire that we had almost two years ago. And now most recently from my oldest son joining the volunteer fire department in the town where we live.

So, once again, I teach the children to step outside of themselves and to think of those around them. To consider the world that they live in. To a lot of people the sound of a siren is something exciting to be investigated. Not maliciously but out of curiosity. Why can it not become an occasion for calling down graces both for those involved in whatever tragedy is going on, but also for the person who is inspired to think of someone other than themselves?

Since we do have class in this small city and there are many opportunities for reminder, did I mention that the police station and fire station are just down the road from the church, I have taught my little people to stop and cross themselves and offer a small prayer; Lord Jesus in the tabernacle have mercy on their souls. Amen. It takes not a moment but it does an eternity of good for all.

Why do you do that head thing when we pray?

No kidding that is a real question that I was asked, way back when I was teaching kindergarten. Now that is a challenging age to teach, especially if they are not your own children!

When I was a young I attended a Catholic school for K-second grades. I can remember my kindergarten teacher, Sister Mary Anne, patiently trying to teach her charges about the holy name of Jesus. I remember the love that was in her voice as she spoke about Him and all of the miracles that he performed. I can still see her face as she topped the whole talk off with the words, "and He did all of this for us!"

She was the one who started me onto the habit of doing "that head thing" when I pray. Of course I refer to bowing the head slightly whenever I say the name of Jesus. Of course during class Sister was always careful to gently remind us so that it eventually became a habit. To finish the history lesson, though, let us fast forward to third grade when my family moved to a town about an hour away. No more Catholic school but we did go to religious education at the Catholic church that my family attended on Sundays. (where I happen to go to this day).

My teacher there was thrilled that her new students had this wonderful habit of bowing their heads whenever they said the Holy name of Jesus. But she had something more to add, and this addition struck me profoundly and has stayed with me to this day. It is why this little habit that seems so unimportant, is really so very important, especially today. I grew up in the seventies and we all know what that era was like. My wonderful religious ed. teacher, who is still a friend today, taught us to not only bow our heads when we speak the name of Jesus, but whenever we hear His name spoken by others.

She explained to us that so many people were taking His holy name in vain and using the name of our Precious Lord for evil purposes that it was up to good Catholic children like us to witness to our love for Jesus by this little act of bowing our heads at the mention of His name. I was impressed by her love for Jesus and the way that she made us feel like grownups, like we could help fight against people who didn't love Jesus the way that we did.

So to all of my classes, no matter what grade, I give the same talks that Sister Mary Anne did and my religious ed teacher from home and I try to instill in them a love for the name of Jesus. I try to let them know that these small acts of faith and love that they perform are only small to the world, God sees them as huge. If they perform them with love and devotion and with the purpose of letting Jesus know that someone loves Him in a world where so many others don't, God will reward them greatly with many graces.

Why the title

I teach the Catholic faith to little children. Second grade at one parish and fifth grade at another, to be precise. Many times throught the course of my classes I get the question over and over, "Why do you do that Mrs. K?" or I hear "Why is that so, Mrs. K?" Because I have these kids for only an hour each a week it is difficult to teach them everything that I want to teach them, everything that they need to know to love God the way that they should. Also, after years of homeschooling my own six children, 20 years, I realize that it is a 24/7 proposition, teaching the faith to young children. No offense meant to those who do not homeschool, but I don't know how you can effectively pass on the faith when they are gone so much each day. But I digress. I discovered that without having them with me all the time, I have to find creative ways to teach them some of the most basic and essential tennants of the faith. It also occurred to me that there are others faced with the same problem. It was suggested to me that I pass on some of my solutions to these questions.

No, I am not arrogant enought to think that my solutions are the only ones that work or the best. Nor do I think that I am that great a teacher. But I do firmly believe that we as parents

and teachers need all the help that we can get if we are going to raise up the next generation of Mother Theresas and Martin of Tours. So this is my attempt to pass on my knowledge and

creativity.