Course Content

Walk Like Jesus: Living Inclusion through Catholic Education

This course invites educators and students into a journey of discipleship, exploring what it means to walk like Jesus in daily life, classrooms, and communities. Grounded in scripture and Catholic tradition, it focuses on practicing love, justice, mercy, and humility in the ordinary and the complex. Rather than beginning with policy or doctrine, the course starts with Jesus (His actions, relationships, and teachings) and follows His model of inclusive, incarnational love.

This course blends storytelling with practical learning. As you move through the course, you will alternate between reading your chosen story and engaging in Learning Interludes that deepen your understanding of inclusive education.

To view the course content, click on each section header below. This will reveal the readings and materials for that part of the course.

How the Course Flows

The course follows a consistent sequence:
Prologue → Learning Interlude 1 → Chapter 1 → Learning Interlude 2 → Chapter 2 → Learning Interlude 3 → Chapter 3 → Learning Interlude 4 → Chapter 4 → Learning Interlude 5 → Epilogue → Learning Interlude 6

Each chapter of your story highlights key ideas in action. After each chapter, you will complete a Learning Interlude that unpacks those ideas through guided content, tools, and activities.

What’s in a Learning Interlude?

Each Learning Interlude contains three Learning Links. A Learning Link is a short, focused learning unit that includes:

A short video explaining an essential concept.
A follow-up activity to help you apply what you have learned.

After each Learning Link, you will find both individual and group activities. Choose the activities that are most meaningful and relevant to your role, goals, and context. There is no requirement to complete them all.

If you are facilitating this course for a group, Facilitator Notes are included at the beginning of each Learning Interlude. These provide guidance, timing suggestions, and tips for leading group discussions and activities.

You will also find:

Printable tools and templates to support your planning.
Reflection prompts to help connect new ideas to your own practice.

These interludes help you make sense of what you have read and offer practical strategies you can use right away, whether you are learning individually or with a group.

▶ Inside the Story: Prologue

Inside the Story: Prologue

As you move through this course, we encourage you to return to the story you selected during the “Inside the Story” sections. Each chapter aligns with the learning interludes and offers a vivid, contextualized look at inclusive design in action. Feel free to explore additional stories if you're curious how the same principles play out in different contexts. Short overviews of the chapter are included here to help you discern if you want to explore other stories.

The Circle on the Floor

Prologue: The Empty Spot in the Circle ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Jaylen arrives in the spring, just as the class is preparing for Easter. Ms. Pina notices that while he seems curious, he resists joining group activities. During circle time, he stays on the edge or hides under the art table. When another child remarks, “Why won’t he sit with us?” Ms. Pina gently replies, “Some friends take time. We can still be close even if we’re sitting apart.” That night, she prays: “Jesus, help me see what Jaylen needs. Help us become a class where every child finds their place.”

Not the Same, Still Belonging

Prologue: The Question That Hung in the Air ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

In the middle of a lesson on the Eucharist, a student asks, “So if Mateo’s not making his First Communion, is he not part of Jesus’ family?” The room falls quiet. Mateo looks down at his hands. Ms. Bennett gently responds, “That’s a big question. Let’s think more about it together.” Later, Mateo admits, “It just makes me feel... not in.” That evening, Ms. Bennett journals and prays: “Lord, help me guide them into deeper understanding—not just of the sacrament, but of Your love.”

The Crosswalk

Prologue: The Uneven Curb ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Elijah pauses at the church lot entrance, holding Sofia’s hand as cars pull in around them. There’s no marked crosswalk and no curb cut. Later in class, Mr. Tanaka asks students to brainstorm changes they’d make to their community. Elijah’s pencil hovers. “It’s small,” he thinks, “but maybe it matters.” That night, he watches Sofia hesitate before going outside. He whispers a prayer: “Jesus, help me help her.”

Peace Between the Lockers

Prologue: The Silence Between Them ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Once always paired together, Leila and Skylar now sit on opposite sides of the classroom. Their laughter has turned into silence. A missed text reply became “she doesn’t care,” which became “don’t trust her.” Mr. Santos, preparing a lesson on the Beatitudes, watches Skylar’s face as the words “Blessed are the peacemakers” appear on the board. That evening, he prays, “Lord, give me wisdom. How do I guide them toward healing when both feel wronged?”

The Stations Project

Prologue: The Sketch No One Saw ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

During silent reading, Aiden flips to the back of his notebook and begins to draw: a faceless figure, weighed down, kneeling under a shadow that won’t lift. Mr. Caron walks by and pauses. “That’s powerful,” he says gently. Aiden shrugs. “Just something in my head.” That night, Mr. Caron prays for his students. “Jesus, help me notice what’s beneath the surface. Help me walk with them.”

▶ Learning Interlude 1: What Does It Mean to Walk Like Jesus

Learning Interlude 1: What Does It Mean to Walk Like Jesus

Occurs After Prologue → Before Chapter 1

Module Name: Knowing Christ, Knowing Ourselves

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can describe how Jesus’ life and actions relate to inclusion.
I can identify ways my classroom or school reflects (or misses) Gospel values.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Who Is Jesus?

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Jesus in Action: Scripture Connection Chart (📄PDF): Match Gospel stories of Jesus' actions with themes of inclusion, compassion, and justice.
"What Would Jesus Do Today?" Creative Scenario Writing (📄PDF): Imagine how Jesus might respond to contemporary school-based situations of exclusion or harm.
Portrait of Christ Reflection (📄PDF): Reflect artistically or through journaling on the characteristics of Jesus that most inspire you in your teaching.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Scripture Circle: Jesus in Action (📄PDF): Explore Gospel passages together and discuss how Jesus' responses challenge or affirm your current practices.
Modern Parables Brainstorm (📄PDF): In small groups, rewrite a parable or Gospel story to fit a current school or classroom issue.
Shared Vision Poster (📄PDF): Collaboratively create a visual representation of "Who is Jesus for our school?" using words, symbols, or images.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Jesus and the Margins

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Chose 1 or More)

Gospel Encounter Mapping (📄PDF): Trace Jesus' interactions with marginalized individuals and reflect on how those stories connect to students today.
"Who’s Missing From the Table?" Reflection Sheet (📄PDF): Consider who may be left out of full participation in your school or classroom and why.
Invisible Needs Journal (📄PDF): Reflect on students whose needs may go unnoticed and how Jesus might respond to them.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Margins Mindmap (📄PDF): Collaboratively create a visual map of students or groups who may be on the margins of school life.
Jesus and the Margins Dialogue Circle (📄PDF): Engage in a structured conversation about how to embody Jesus’ compassion toward those most often overlooked.
Inclusion Brainstorm Wall (📄PDF): Create a shared visual space for staff to post inclusive practices inspired by Jesus' ministry.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Walking With, Not Ahead

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Proximity Reflection: Who Do I Walk Closest To? (📄PDF): Reflect on your relational patterns with students—who you naturally connect with, and who may be unintentionally distant.
Inclusion Self-Scan (📄PDF): Use this checklist to consider whether your classroom routines, language, and structures reflect a “walking with” posture.
Silent Conversations With Jesus (📄PDF): Journal a conversation with Jesus about what it means to walk with your students.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Walking With Role Plays (📄PDF): Practice staff scenarios that explore power dynamics and relational positioning using Jesus’ approach as a guide.
Student Voice Case Studies (📄PDF): Examine real or fictional student stories to explore how “walking with” might look in practice.
Prayer Walk & Reflection (📄PDF): As a team, walk through your school while praying or reflecting silently on inclusion, presence, and solidarity.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Gospel Encounter Map (📄PDF): A template to trace Jesus' interactions and themes from the Gospels.
Walking With Reflection Prompts (📄PDF): Reflective questions to guide personal and professional integration of faith and inclusion.
Inclusion Snapshot Tool (📄PDF): A classroom scan that highlights who is seen, heard, and valued—and who may be missing

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes Gospel passages on Jesus’ inclusive ministry, scriptural reflections on compassion and justice, Catholic teachings on dignity, and research connecting faith, education, and belonging.

▶ Inside the Story: Chapter 1

Inside the Story: Chapter 1

The Circle on the Floor

Chapter 1: The Shepherd Who Waited ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The next day, Ms. Pina tells the story of the lost sheep. “Jesus didn’t stay with the group,” she explains. “He went looking for the one who was missing.” She pauses, eyes soft. “Do we notice when someone’s not in our circle?” The students begin drawing pictures of their classroom circles and who’s in them. One child draws Jaylen under the table and quietly adds a heart beside him. That afternoon, Ms. Pina moves closer to Jaylen, not to pull him in, but to simply be near.

Not the Same, Still Belonging

Chapter 1: The Table With Room for More ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The next day, Ms. Bennett shares a painting of the Last Supper and asks: “Who did Jesus eat with?” The students notice how different the disciples were. There were fishermen, doubters, even a tax collector. She adds: “Jesus ate with people no one expected. And He keeps making room.” The class creates their own Last Supper collage, adding people from their lives including siblings, neighbors, Mateo. One student asks, “Can I add my grandma even though she’s not Catholic?” Ms. Bennett replies, “Yes. Jesus welcomes everyone.”

The Crosswalk

Chapter 1: A Letter That Saw More ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The next day, students begin writing persuasive letters. Elijah writes to the parish council, describing the parking lot and how it limits access for Sofia and others. He adds, “Jesus made space for people who couldn’t get to Him easily. We should too.” Mr. Tanaka reads it silently, then asks, “Elijah, would you be okay sharing this with our class?” He nods. Some students shift uncomfortably. “Why does it matter so much?” one asks. Mr. Tanaka replies, “Let’s talk about that.”

Peace Between the Lockers

Chapter 1: The Circle with Two Empty Chairs ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Mr. Santos invites his class into a reflection circle. Each student writes down a time they’ve felt misunderstood. The stories stay anonymous but resonate deeply. Afterward, he asks the class, “What does it mean to see someone fully, even when we’re upset?” Leila glances at Skylar across the room. The words of Jesus echo: “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” A few days later, Mr. Santos quietly invites Leila and Skylar into a circle process of their own.

The Stations Project

Chapter 1: The Station He Chose ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The next day, Mr. Caron introduces the Stations of the Cross project: each group will take one station and reimagine it through a modern lens. Aiden quietly asks for “Jesus Falls the First Time.” Mr. Caron agrees. That evening, Aiden draws a figure curled in bed while the world moves around them. Below it, he writes: “Sometimes falling isn’t dramatic. It’s just when you can’t get up.”

▶ Learning Interlude 2: Seeing With the Eyes of Mercy

Learning Interlude 2: Seeing With the Eyes of Mercy

Occurs After Chapter 1 → Before Chapter 2

Module Name: Seeing Value, Not Labels

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can name examples of students being misjudged or misunderstood.
I can explain what it means to respond with mercy instead of assumption.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Mercy vs. Pity

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Heart Check Reflection Sheet (📄PDF): Reflect on recent moments when you offered help—was it rooted in mercy, pity, or something else?
Mirror Moments (📄PDF): Recall a time you felt pitied rather than supported. How might that shape your approach with students?
Seeing Value Reflection (📄PDF): Identify a student you find challenging and reflect on their strengths, story, and God-given worth.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Pity vs. Mercy Case Scenarios (📄PDF): Explore fictional school-based interactions and discern whether they reflect mercy or pity.
Visual Anchor Creation (📄PDF): Co-create posters or visuals that define and contrast pity and mercy in classroom language.
Empathy Exchange Circle (📄PDF): Staff share personal or observed moments where mercy transformed a situation.

🎬 Learning Link 2: The Lens We Use

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Chose 1 or More)

“Who Did I Miss Today?” Journal Prompt (📄PDF): Reflect on a student who may have been overlooked or misunderstood and why.
Label Watch Reflection (📄PDF): Journal about how labeling (diagnostic, behavioral, or informal) may have shaped your responses.
Lens Cleaning Checklist (📄PDF): Identify the personal filters (biases, fatigue, assumptions) that cloud your vision.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

The Lens We Use Dialogue Protocol (📄PDF): Use a structured format to explore how personal or cultural lenses impact student relationships.
Label Liberation Brainstorm (📄PDF): Co-create language and practices that move beyond deficit-based descriptions.
Blind Spot Mapping (📄PDF): As a team, reflect on patterns of who is often misjudged, overlooked, or labelled in your context.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Dignity in Everyday Encounters

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Jesus Saw Her: Gospel & Inclusion Scenarios (📄PDF): Read brief Gospel encounters and reflect on how Jesus saw and responded to dignity in others.
Daily Dignity Tracker (📄PDF): Track one daily moment where you intentionally upheld or missed a chance to affirm student dignity.
Mercy in Micro-Moments Journal (📄PDF): Write about one small interaction with a student and how it could reflect more mercy.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Everyday Encounters Story Swap (📄PDF): Share stories of brief, everyday moments that shaped students’ sense of belonging.
Dignity Practices Role Play (📄PDF): Act out common classroom interactions and explore different responses rooted in dignity and mercy.
Blessing Board Activity (📄PDF): Create a space where staff write anonymous affirmations or blessings to students often misunderstood.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Assumption Inventory (📄PDF): A reflective tool to surface hidden assumptions about students and reframe them through mercy.
Dignity-Centered Dialogue Starters (📄PDF): Sentence stems and questions for fostering deeper connection and student affirmation.
Lens Reflection Worksheet (📄PDF): A guided tool to help unpack how we interpret student behavior and how to shift our lens.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes scriptural reflections on mercy and dignity, Gospel stories of Jesus encountering the marginalized, Catholic teaching on the inherent worth of each person, and research on bias and relational practice in education.

▶ Inside the Story: Chapter 2

Inside the Story: Chapter 2

The Circle on the Floor

Chapter 2: A Mat for Two ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Ms. Pina adds a new ritual: each day, two students help set up the gathering circle by choosing a welcome mat and placing items for prayer. When it’s Olivia’s turn, she asks if Jaylen can help even though he hasn’t joined the group yet. Together, they choose a soft blue mat. Jaylen doesn’t speak, but sits beside it as Olivia holds the candle. Slowly, the students begin expanding what it means to be “in the circle”. It’s no longer about where you sit, but how you’re included.

Not the Same, Still Belonging

Chapter 2: Drawing Belonging ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

During art, students are invited to create “Belonging Portraits”. Images that show when they’ve felt included or left out. Mateo draws a playground scene where he is off to the side. Amara draws a circle of friends and writes, “I want everyone to feel like this.” Ms. Bennett invites students to reflect on how we can widen our circles at school. Later that day, students pair up to share stories of welcome. Mateo is partnered with the same student who asked the Eucharist question and they talk, quietly, but genuinely.

The Crosswalk

Chapter 2: Whose Problem Is It? ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

In small groups, students discuss who is responsible for making community spaces accessible. Some argue it’s the city’s job. Others say, “But we use the lot all the time.” Mr. Tanaka invites them to read the Gospel story of the friends who lowered the paralyzed man through the roof. “They made a way,” he says. “Even when no one else did.” Elijah quietly adds, “It’s not just about Sofia. What if it were you?” The class begins brainstorming ideas. They list such things as ramps, signs, better paint. Their project gains momentum.

Peace Between the Lockers

Chapter 2: Listening That Hurt and Healed ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

In the restorative circle, both girls speak. Leila shares how Skylar’s words after the project felt like betrayal. Skylar admits she felt shut out and overwhelmed. They both cry, quietly, but honestly. Mr. Santos reminds them that reconciliation isn’t about forgetting but remembering in a new way. “Jesus didn’t ignore pain,” he says. “He faced it. And He forgave.” After the meeting, they don’t resume their old friendship but they stop looking through each other.

The Stations Project

Chapter 2: The Unspoken Becomes Seen ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

As students work, Aiden continues sketching. He doesn’t speak much in group discussions, but when he shares his drawing with his team, there’s silence. Then, one classmate quietly says, “I think I’ve felt that too.” Another nods. Mr. Caron uses the moment to talk about the unseen crosses many people carry and how Jesus fell under His. “He didn’t pretend He was okay. He kept walking. That’s holy too.”

▶ Learning Interlude 3: Living Justice With Courage

Learning Interlude 3: Living Justice With Courage

Occurs After Chapter 2 → Before Chapter 3

Module Name: Disruption as Discipleship

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can identify systems or practices that may exclude others.
I can explain how justice connects to Catholic education.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Justice vs. Charity

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

System Scan: What Needs to Change? (📄PDF): Reflect on policies, routines, or cultural norms in your school that may unintentionally exclude or disadvantage students.
Charity vs. Justice Reflection Sheet (📄PDF): Identify a time when a well-meaning act may have addressed a symptom rather than the root issue.
Walking the Justice Pathway Journal (📄PDF): Write about a time when you moved from a charitable response to a justice-oriented one.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Justice Mapping Protocol (📄PDF): Collaboratively map areas of school life where students may not experience full belonging—and brainstorm systemic responses.
Charity vs. Justice Scenarios (📄PDF): Discuss fictional or real examples and consider how to shift from surface-level solutions to deeper change.
Justice in Action Sharing Circle (📄PDF): Share personal stories or observations of when justice, not just charity, was lived out in your school.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Jesus the Disrupter

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Chose 1 or More)

“If Jesus Were My Colleague…” Role Reflection (📄PDF): Reflect on how Jesus might respond to school routines or student interactions—what would He challenge or affirm?
Gospel Disruption Study (📄PDF): Read selected passages where Jesus challenged norms and reflect on parallels in your educational context.
Courage Inventory (📄PDF): Identify areas where you feel called to speak up or act, but fear holds you back—name small steps you could take.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Sacred Disruption Discussion (📄PDF): Engage in a structured conversation about what holy disruption looks like in a school context.
Jesus the Disrupter Case Studies (📄PDF): Examine Gospel moments of disruption and apply their lessons to today’s school settings.
Disruption Wall of Hope (📄PDF): Post visible statements of small and large disruptions team members are committed to making in the name of justice.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Small Acts of Courage

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Justice Case Studies: Student Voice and Agency (📄PDF): Review stories of student advocacy and reflect on how adults can amplify or silence that voice.
Courage Reflection Log (📄PDF): Track moments when you chose courage over comfort, or missed a chance to do so.
“One Brave Thing” Planning Sheet (📄PDF): Identify one tangible, courageous action you can take this week that promotes inclusion and justice.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Courage Roundtable (📄PDF): Team members share a recent act of courage (big or small) and how it impacted their practice or students.
Justice and Agency in Student Work (📄PDF): Examine student projects or stories that highlight voice and justice in action.
Staff Courage Commitment Tree (📄PDF): Create a visual display where each person adds a leaf with a justice-oriented action they will take.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Justice in Our School Map (📄PDF): A visual planning tool for identifying areas where justice can be deepened in your school environment.
Disrupting with Compassion Reflection Tool (📄PDF): A guided template for considering how to challenge unjust systems while upholding relationships.
Courage Compass Worksheet (📄PDF): A tool to help identify where your values are calling you to act and how to align courage with compassion.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes scriptural examples of Jesus’ justice work, Catholic Social Teaching on systemic change, theological reflections on disruption and mercy, and educational literature on student agency and ethical leadership.

▶ Inside the Story: Chapter 3

Inside the Story: Chapter 3

The Circle on the Floor

Chapter 3: The Circle Grows Wobbly ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

One day, Jaylen stands just behind the group. When a classmate scoots over and pats the floor beside them, Jaylen takes a hesitant step forward. Then he sits. The circle is now lopsided, but no one moves to fix it. Ms. Pina smiles and whispers, “This is the holiest circle I’ve ever seen.” Later, she reads the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The students talk about how peace can come through patience, through waiting, and through making room.

Not the Same, Still Belonging

Chapter 3: Our Circle of Welcome ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The class begins a new daily ritual called the Circle of Welcome. Each morning, a student lights a candle and shares one way someone made them feel included. Mateo volunteers to go first. “Today, Ryan shared his pencils with me. That made me feel like I belonged.” The students begin noticing more: shared seats, invitations to play, kind words. One day, a student offers their prayer intention “for people who feel like they don’t belong, so we remember to look for them.”

The Crosswalk

Chapter 3: From Problem to Possibility ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The class prepares short presentations for the parish council. Elijah’s group focuses on the crosswalk and curb cut, using photos and a model they built out of cardboard. Another group presents ideas for sensory-friendly Mass kits. The council listens attentively. One member says, “We didn’t realize this was a barrier. Thank you for helping us see.” Mr. Tanaka reflects afterward: “Justice is sometimes just a shift in vision.” The students beam.

Peace Between the Lockers

Chapter 3: The Post-It on the Locker ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

A week later, Leila finds a post-it on her locker: “Thanks for listening. I wasn’t ready before. I am now.” Signed with a small heart. Skylar. The next day, they sit side-by-side during a partner activity. Slowly, the class relaxes too. Mr. Santos leads a discussion: “What do we do with brokenness?” Students begin sharing their own small attempts at repair including apologies, shared notes, honest check-ins.

The Stations Project

Chapter 3: The Day of the Display ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

The Stations are presented as a gallery walk in the school chapel. Aiden’s drawing, paired with a brief artist statement, sits at Station 3. He doesn’t stay to watch reactions but when he returns later, he finds small sticky notes left by peers: “Thank you.” “I understand now.” “This helped me feel less alone.” Mr. Caron reads them aloud the next day, with Aiden’s permission. The class discusses how sharing truth creates space for healing, not only for the one who speaks, but for others too.

▶ Learning Interlude 4: Being Peacemakers and Bridge Builders

Learning Interlude 4: Being Peacemakers and Bridge Builders

Occurs After Chapter 3 → Before Chapter 4

Module Name: Healing and Wholeness in Community

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can explain the role of reconciliation in inclusion.
I can identify one way I can be a peacemaker in my setting.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Peace That Costs Something

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Conflict Mapping Tool (📄PDF): Reflect on a current or past school-based conflict and explore the root causes, perspectives, and paths to peace.
Peace Inventory (📄PDF): Consider where peace is present in your classroom and where it needs to be cultivated.
My Peacemaker Posture Journal (📄PDF): Reflect on what it means to be a peacemaker and where you’ve experienced inner resistance or courage.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Conflict Case Study Analysis (📄PDF): Examine fictional or real school scenarios and collaboratively explore non-punitive approaches to peace and healing.
Staff Roundtable: What Peace Costs (📄PDF): Share stories of when choosing peace was difficult—but necessary.
Peace Practices Brainstorm Wall (📄PDF): Post ideas for small, sustainable peacebuilding actions within classroom and staff interactions.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Circles, Not Silos

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Chose 1 or More)

Circle Reflection Sheet (📄PDF): Reflect on who is in your relational circle—and who might be excluded.
Silo Scan Journal (📄PDF): Identify patterns in your school where isolation (among staff or students) is unintentionally reinforced.
Bridge Building Action Plan (📄PDF): Choose one small way to build a bridge across a divide in your school or classroom.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Circles Mapping Exercise (📄PDF): In small groups, map out relational or departmental silos and identify where connection is needed.
Circle Process Simulation (📄PDF): Practice leading or participating in a restorative circle using the planning template.
Unity Quilt Activity (📄PDF): Contribute a symbolic “patch” representing each person's role in creating a connected community.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Repairing What’s Been Broken

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

“Blessed Are the Peacemakers” Case Study (📄PDF): Analyze a story of broken relationship in a school setting and reflect on possible repair steps.
Restorative Practice Self-Assessment (📄PDF): Evaluate your current use of restorative practices and identify areas for growth.
Personal Repair Plan (📄PDF): Identify a moment of past harm or disconnection and reflect on steps you might take toward repair or reconciliation.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Repair Circle Role Play (📄PDF): Practice facilitating a restorative dialogue between two fictional students or staff members.
Bridge Builders Story Sharing (📄PDF): Share personal or historical stories of reconciliation and peacebuilding.
Peacemakers’ Prayer Circle (📄PDF): End with a reflective or prayer-based gathering, holding space for ongoing healing work.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Classroom Peacemaking Toolkit (📄PDF): A collection of prompts, protocols, and visual tools for building peace in everyday classroom moments.
Circle Process Planning Template (📄PDF): Step-by-step guidance for designing and facilitating restorative or community-building circles.
Repair Plan Template (📄PDF): A guide for reflecting on harm, offering repair, and rebuilding trust with dignity.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes scriptural foundations for peacemaking and reconciliation (e.g., Beatitudes), Catholic teaching on restorative justice and human dignity, and research on conflict resolution, school climate, and community healing.

▶ Inside the Story: Chapter 4

Inside the Story: Chapter 4

The Circle on the Floor

Chapter 4: The Bell and the Whisper ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Ms. Pina introduces new roles: peace bell ringer, story cloth carrier, and prayer starter. She offers Jaylen the bell one morning. He doesn’t respond—but the next day, he reaches for it on his own. When he rings it, the class falls quiet. One student whispers, “That means we’re ready.” The ritual becomes rooted in shared trust. Ms. Pina later reflects with the class: “When we love like Jesus, we don’t rush. We listen with our hearts.”

Not the Same, Still Belonging

Chapter 4: The Communion Journal ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

As students complete their Communion journals, Ms. Bennett offers Mateo an adapted reflection journal titled “Walking With Jesus.” It includes prompts about kindness, courage, and love in action. Mateo writes, “Jesus didn’t always choose the popular people. He chose the ones who needed Him.” When the class gathers for their final preparation prayer, Ms. Bennett reads a quote from Mateo’s journal (with his permission) and says, “This is what walking with Jesus looks like.”

The Crosswalk

Chapter 4: The Day the Paint Was Fresh ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Weeks later, Elijah and Sofia walk to school again. This time, there’s a freshly painted crosswalk and a gentle slope where the curb had been. Sofia giggles, “It’s like the sidewalk’s saying, ‘Come on in!’” That morning, Mr. Tanaka leads the class in a prayer of gratitude. “God of open spaces and welcome paths, thank you for showing us how to walk like You.” Elijah drops a photo of the new crosswalk into the class’s Justice Journal.

Peace Between the Lockers

Chapter 4: Ashes and Olive Branches ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

During their Lenten liturgy, students write down things they want to release (anger, gossip, judgment) and place them in a clay bowl on the altar. Leila and Skylar walk up together. Neither says a word, but both drop their slips in at the same time. Later, Mr. Santos reflects with the class: “Jesus didn’t avoid pain. He transformed it. So can we.” In group work, Leila and Skylar collaborate again, not perfectly, but with kindness.

The Stations Project

Chapter 4: The Cross We Carried Together ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

Inspired by the project, the class creates a final, collaborative piece: a wooden cross wrapped in fabric, each student adding a small tag with a word or phrase representing something they carry. Aiden writes “not enough” and ties it near the top. The next day, he finds someone added another tag next to his: “you are.” Mr. Caron smiles, “The cross is still heavy but not just yours now.”

▶ Learning Interlude 5: Choosing Love Over Judgement

Learning Interlude 5: Choosing Love Over Judgment

Occurs After Chapter 4 → Before Epilogue

Module Name: Hospitality as a Way of Being

📎Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can reflect on how my classroom culture communicates welcome.
I can identify where unintentional exclusion may happen.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Radical Welcome

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Hospitality Audit (📄PDF): Reflect on your classroom environment, displays, and routines. What messages are students receiving about who belongs?
Doorway Reflection (📄PDF): Journal about what a student might experience in the first five minutes of entering your space.
Welcome Lens Walkthrough (📄PDF): Take a solo tour of your classroom using a “welcome” checklist to identify inclusive and exclusive elements.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Classroom Walkthrough Exchange (📄PDF): In pairs, visit each other’s classrooms and provide feedback using the Culture of Welcome Scan Tool.
Inclusive Entry Brainstorm (📄PDF): Co-create ideas for greeting, arrival routines, and transitions that foster belonging.
Hospitality in Action Gallery (📄PDF): As a group, share photos, artifacts, or stories that illustrate welcome practices.

🎬 Learning Link 2: From Judgment to Curiosity

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 2 (Chose 1 or More)

Reflection Sheet: “When Have I Misjudged?” (📄PDF): Reflect on a moment when you made an assumption about a student and what you learned.
Root Cause Reflection (📄PDF): Identify behaviors you find challenging and dig deeper into potential unmet needs or stories behind them.
Internal Script Rewrite (📄PDF): Rewrite a moment of judgment as a moment of curiosity. What questions could you have asked instead?

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Bias and Belonging Circle (📄PDF): Participate in a structured dialogue about how bias can impact inclusion and how we can respond differently.
Story Behind the Behavior Case Study (📄PDF): Analyze fictional student scenarios and practice re-framing deficit narratives.
Judgment-to-Curiosity Role Plays (📄PDF): Act out common moments of tension and explore how to shift from blame to inquiry.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Holding Space for Others

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Individual Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

“The Table Is Bigger Than You Think” Visual Reflection (📄PDF): Reflect on a table-based metaphor—who is at your table, and who might be missing?
Brave Space Self-Check (📄PDF): Assess how you support emotional safety and dignity during classroom conversations.
One Student, One Strategy (📄PDF): Choose one student who feels disconnected and create a concrete plan to hold space for them.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Class Charter of Care (📄PDF): Co-develop a shared set of commitments for how the team or class will hold space for one another.
Hard-to-Love Student Scenario (📄PDF): Collaboratively problem-solve how to build relationship and connection with a fictional student who’s often excluded.
Table of Welcome Mapping (📄PDF): In groups, identify physical and relational barriers to participation and brainstorm ways to expand welcome.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Culture of Welcome Scan Tool (📄PDF): Use this tool to assess your classroom’s environmental and relational messages about belonging.
Radical Hospitality Reflection Guide (📄PDF): A structured set of questions for examining hospitality, exclusion, and the emotional experience of students.
Table of Welcome Mapping Template (📄PDF): Visual organizer to reflect on who’s present, who’s missing, and how to widen the circle of inclusion.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes scriptural and theological references, Catholic teaching on hospitality and human dignity, and research on belonging and classroom culture.

▶ Inside the Story: Epilogue

Inside the Story: Epilogue

The Circle on the Floor

Epilogue: The Circle Remains ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

At the end of the year, families gather in the kindergarten room for a celebration. Photos show how the class grew. There were pictures of shared mats, peace bell rituals, and lopsided circles. Ms. Pina shares, “In our classroom, we tried to walk like Jesus. That meant waiting for one another, noticing who was left out, and learning that circles can grow wider.” Jaylen sits in the circle. He was still quiet. Still himself. But when the peace bell rings, he smiles and claps.

Not the Same, Still Belonging

Epilogue: The Picture at the Prayer Table ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

At the end-of-year liturgy, the class displays their Last Supper collage at the front of the church. Mateo’s image is there too. He is drawn in a green hoodie, sitting beside Peter. After Mass, his parents thank Ms. Bennett. “We’ve never felt so respected in our difference,” they say. Ms. Bennett reflects later, “In this classroom, we didn’t all walk the same path. But we did walk together.”

The Crosswalk

Epilogue: The Path That Got Wider ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

At the final school assembly, Mr. Tanaka shares the story of the class’s project, highlighting the impact of listening and small steps toward justice. The parish priest joins them and blesses the new crosswalk, inviting students to remember that “every step we take toward one another is a step toward Christ.” Elijah doesn’t say much but he stands a little taller. The class now understands: justice doesn’t always look like a protest. Sometimes, it looks like a painted path and a boy who noticed.

Peace Between the Lockers

Epilogue: The Wall Display of Peace ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

As the year ends, the class creates a display of “Brave Acts of Peace.” Leila writes, “Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you go back to how things were. It means you choose love instead of staying angry.” Skylar’s reads, “I used to think peace meant silence. Now I know it means understanding.” Their papers hang side by side. Walking like Jesus, their class learns, isn’t about avoiding the mess. It’s about entering it together with hearts ready to heal.

The Stations Project

Epilogue: The Road Beyond the Stations ( 📖 Read | 🎧 Listen | 🎬 Watch )

At the school’s Holy Week celebration, the Stations are displayed again, this time with student voice recordings. Aiden’s voice, recorded quietly after school, shares his artist statement. “This is what it means to fall. But also to keep going. Like Jesus did.” Students, staff, and parents walk the path in reverent silence. Aiden stands in the back, head low but heart lifted. Walking like Jesus didn’t mean pretending he was fine. It meant letting others walk with him.

▶ Learning Interlude 6: Taking the Journey Forward

Learning Interlude 6: Taking the Journey Forward

Occurs After Epilogue

Module Name: Living the Call

📎 Facilitator Notes (📄PDF)

🌟 Success Criteria

I can name a next step in my journey of walking like Jesus.
I can identify a practice or mindset I want to deepen.

🎬 Learning Link 1: Jesus Is Still Walking

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Walking Practice Journal (📄PDF): Reflect on where you’ve seen Jesus walking in your school or community and where He might be inviting you to follow.
Personal Timeline of Faith-in-Action (📄PDF): Map out moments this year when your faith shaped how you responded to others.
Sacred Disruption Reflection (📄PDF): Write about a moment when your comfort was disrupted by compassion—and what changed.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 1 (Choose 1 or More)

Walking Together Story Circle (📄PDF): Share moments of faith-in-action and how they’ve shaped your classroom or relationships.
“Jesus Is Still Walking” Wall (📄PDF): Create a visual or digital wall of community stories showing faith in motion.
Collective Commitment Creation (📄PDF): Collaboratively design a visible display of shared commitments for the next season.

🎬 Learning Link 2: Integration, Not Addition

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Learning Activity 2 (Chose 1 or More)

My Walking Practice Plan (📄PDF): Identify a core mindset or habit and outline how it will be woven into daily practice.
Values Integration Map (📄PDF): Align your teaching routines or leadership practices with Gospel values.
Mindset Deep Dive (📄PDF): Choose one key mindset (e.g., grace, presence, justice) and reflect on how you will embody it more fully.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 2 (Choose 1 or More)

Practice Exchange Sessions (📄PDF): Share small but impactful ways to embody Christ’s call in classroom, staffroom, or community settings.
“Integration Audit” Walkthrough (📄PDF): As a team, walk through a daily schedule and identify points of alignment or misalignment with your shared values.
Spiritual Practice Café (📄PDF): Host a session where each team member shares a faith practice that supports their work.

🎬 Learning Link 3: Everyday Discipleship

Power Point Slides (📄PDF)

📝 Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

Commitment Card: What I Will Keep Doing (📄PDF): Name a daily or weekly practice you want to sustain and why it matters.
Everyday Disciple Reflection (📄PDF): Describe how you want to show up as a follower of Jesus in the ordinary, not just the extraordinary.
Faithful Footsteps Log (📄PDF): Track small daily actions that align with Christ’s way of love, justice, and humility.

🤝 Group Learning Activity 3 (Choose 1 or More)

“The Road Ahead” Group Blessing (📄PDF): Use a structured prompt to speak encouragement and blessing over one another’s next steps.
Discipleship in Action Panel (📄PDF): Invite staff to share how they’re living their faith in quiet, consistent ways.
Staff Sending Circle (📄PDF): Close with a circle of prayer or commissioning to mark this season’s end and a new beginning.

🧰 Tools & Templates:

Walking Plan Template (📄PDF): A visual and written template for naming, planning, and tracking your next faith-in-action step.
Daily Practice Tracker (📄PDF): A customizable tool to log personal or team spiritual practices over time.
Reflection Cards for Staff Sharing (📄PDF): A deck of reflective prompts for staff to use during sharing circles or retreats.

📚 Reference List (📄PDF)

Includes Gospel passages on discipleship and daily faithfulness, Catholic Social Teaching principles related to vocation and witness, and resources on spiritual practices in educational life.

▶ Reflection and Recognition

Reflection and Recognition

📎 Course Certificate (📄PDF)