Hands On!

Charlotte Danielson, a leading educational researcher, has identified four domains of effective teaching. Her philosophy is to observe a teacher's effectiveness based on what the students are doing in the classroom as a result of the teacher's actions. She points out that the best activities for learning are both "hands-on" AND "minds-on." While there is definitely a place for repetitive practice (think math fact sheets) to reinforce learning and there is a place for projects for the sake of projects (think hand turkey), the most effective activities force students to think while also producing tangible evidence of what they learned.

As we begin our journey towards Christmas with Advent, it is a great time to find ways to make our service to others more "hands-on" AND "minds-on." While there are places --and a very real need-- for service that only requires a donation (food drives, toy drives, etc.), I believe we are called to deepen our service commitment to our community.

Here are three opportunities supported through ministries at Christ the King where you can make your service hands-on and minds-on:

1) St. Vincent DePaul Society--In addition to collecting food (we contributed over 6,000 pounds in our school/parish drive), this ministry needs volunteers to work in the SVDP Food Pantry and Thrift Store, collect goods, enter data, and provide seasonal outreach. Email svdphdc@gmail.com if you are interested.

2) Home Makers of Hope-- Besides donating your old furniture, this group needs volunteers to drive its box truck and make home visits to determine furnishing needs for families in our parish community. For more information and to schedule furniture pick-ups, contact Connie Hayden-McPeak at dcmcpeak01@yahoo.com.

3) Trinity Cafe--Serving a hot meal for hundreds of people daily, Trinity Cafe's mission is to help their guests dine with dignity. If you volunteer you serve as a table host bringing your guests drinks, food, and conversation. Our faculty volunteered here this summer and found it to be a very rewarding experience.  Check out their website for volunteer information:  http://www.trinitycafe.org.

These are just a few ways to enhance your Advent in preparation for Christmas. They also provide our children an opportunity to "Observe God in All Things," specifically a hands-on and minds-on example of serving those in need in our community.