In an ideal atrium...

Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start, if Julie Andrews is to be believed. This first  post is going to walk you through an ideal atrium session. That's not to say you have to follow all of these to the "T", but I want you to understand how I was instructed to conduct a session. Sofia had good reasons and many are rooted in Montessori basics which I will elaborate on as we move ahead. From experience, I have learned the closer I get to this model the more normalized my students are and the better the session runs overall. It's a constant learning curve for all of us, but let's keep working towards the ideal.

1- The door to the atrium should be shut when students arrive and at least one catechist should be outside. The invitation to enter the sacred space is the first part of establishing your atrium session.

2- Have students remove shoes and place them on the shelf. This is a key transition: students are shedding the shoes they use for school and/or play to enter the sacred atrium environment. In addition to helping keep the atrium clean, removal of shoes helps with the normalization process. In Montessori schools students typically go barefoot (as we do in the atrium) or wear ballet shoes/slippers.It's a nonverbal reminder that this place is special and used for doing our holy work.

3- Invite students in one at a time. Shake his/her hand, invite them by name, and welcome him/her to the atrium. "Bill, I am so glad you could be with us in the atrium today." "Welcome to the atrium, Suzy."

4- Have students take a seat on the floor upon arriving.

5- Invitation to presentation and work is key. Remember that each student is an individual, and should be treated as such. Here is where it pays to mentally have your children sorted into 2 or 3 different groupings by who needs which presentation and/or how long they have been in the atrium.

6- Watch students' behavior. Who is ready for a presentation and/or work? Students sitting quietly, with hands in lap are the ones ready for the next step of the session. This is why we invite one at a time.

7- Who is giving the presentation? That catechist should individually tap students on the shoulder and invite him/her to where the presentation is taking place. "Sally, I am going to be showing Altar II over there. I would like for you to see this work. Would you go sit in the altar corner if you are ready to hear this presentation?" If a child isn't ready for the presentation, do not force him/her. Let them desire and yearn for the work, not be forced into it.

8- Normally, each catechist/aid should be overseeing 3-5 students in an activity. Some will be hearing presentations, others may be working, etc. It's rare that everyone in the atrium will be doing the same thing at once save for presentations like Baptism, Prayer Corner, and/or Celebrations.

9- Students not needing the first presentation of the day should be individually invited by the other catechist(s)/aids to work. "Andy, would you like to choose a work?" If 2 or 3 catechists can be presenting at once, great. Otherwise, students should have their work time while the lead catechist presents to the first group of the day. Students may feel called to hear a presentation a 2nd or 3rd time. If a student wanders over to join the group, that's great. If he/she asks why they weren't invited you could say, "Miss Karen showed you Altar II last year. If you would like to see it again, you are welcome to sit with the other students receiving the presentation." We are meeting the child's needs. Not our own.

10- If you are presenting, grab the record of presentations sheets for those children. Make sure you mark which day they received the presentation. These records should be with them all through their years in the atrium.

11- If students are talking out of turn, running around the room, acting fidgety, etc. THEY SHOULD NOT BE INVITED TO A PRESENTATION OR WORK TIME. In the beginning, before they are normalized, they may ask why they are not being called on. "I will invite you to a presentation when you show me you are ready." In time, student learn they must use their best atrium manners (my term) in order to be able to work. As catechists, we should find ourselves using fewer and fewer words as the weeks go on.

12- Just this week, my former Level I Formation Leader and I discussed a key step during the presentation. If the children get disruptive, talkative, or antsy STOP. Just quietly, modeling what you expect of the students. They should self-regulate and allow you to continue. If a few times of this doesn't help, have an aid invite the child to a different work. Later, if they wish to work with the material, remind them that they cannot since they didn't see the presentation. In time, the child will adapt to the rhythm of the atrium out of a desire to hear new presentations and work with different materials.

13- After presenting a work, it's time for the next presentation. In Level I, a  catechist can usually get through 2 or 3 different presentations to different groups of children in the 75 minutes. In Level II, you should be able to do at least 2 presentations (remembering those are longer.). Most Level III presentations take longer and each catechist can probably only do 1 presentation.

14- After doing one presentation, invite your next group to the next presentation in the same manner described in step 7. Students who just received a presentation will likely be individually invited to work. You never want to give students more than one presentation/week with the exception of some of the Level I Practical Life works in the early weeks.

15- Were any students absent last week or the week before?  A catechist should invite them during work time to see a presentation they may have missed.

16-With about 15 minutes to go, ring a bell. Inform students of how long until they need to restore. Ask them to not get out any new works.

17- With about 10 minutes to go, invite students to the prayer table. Engage in communal prayer time. In Levels II and III, students should be preparing this.

18- Ideally, we want parents coming to the atrium door to get the children. I hope to implement this practice next year. Have one catechist go outside while the other engages the students in quiet discussion about the day's atrium time or sing a song.

19- As each parent arrives, tap the child on the shoulder and invite into the hall to get shoes on, pass out papers, etc. so as not to disrupt their solemn experience. Remember to keep the door shut throughout this time.

20- With Levels II and III, you would first dismiss older students who need to collect younger siblings and then other students as parents arrive.

21- If you must leave the atrium, en masse, walk students to the Parish Center door while singing a song. I  highly suggest "Go Now in Peace". If everyone from all levels are singing the same song, we can leave the atrium in a more solemn manner than presently. The transition back to the "real world" is key here.  

22- Restore the atrium as needed.

23- Thank the Good Shepherd.

24- Go home.