TUESDAY TEACHING TIP: Bringing Ignatian Examen to the classroom

One of the commitments of Jesuit education is to unveil unjust realities in our world. By joining the voices of communities at the peripheries who experience the social wounds of unjust structures, we can, together, transition to a more dignified life for all. Therefore, during Jesuit Heritage Week, we invite you to reflect on how, through your classes, research, or co-curricular activities, we are responding to the call of a Faith that Does Justice, by conducting an Ignatian Examen with your students. 

We offer a possible examen to try this week focused on peace and justice. A strength of the examen is its adaptability and there may be one that better fits your course or interests in the links offered below.  

 

Here’s one way to do it

An Examen for Peace and Justice, adapted from Jenny Tighe

This activity will take 10 to 15 minutes.

To begin: give the students and yourself a moment to pause, settle into a comfortable position, and enter into a contemplative frame of mind. Then proceed to pose the prompts you hope for your students to reflect on with space for silent reflection after each question.

• Recall: What am I especially grateful for today?

• Reflect: How did I see the transcendent in all things today? How did I see it in my own behavior? In the actions of others? In the creation around me?

• Review: Where did I see injustice in our world? Where did I see peace? Did I miss (or take) an opportunity to walk alongside another person today?

• Respond: How did I respond to each moment in the day? Did my behavior take shape as action to elicit change? Did my behavior bring peace to others? If I didn’t take action, why not?

• Resolve: Is there anything I would do differently in order to better reflect love for others tomorrow? Is there a way I can deepen my connection to peace and justice through action tomorrow?

 

DID YOU DO IT?

Let us know how it went. We would love to hear your feedback about how you implemented today’s Tuesday Teaching Tip in your classroom. Click here to fill out our 3-question survey. The survey is anonymous, but if you choose to enter your name, you’ll be entered in a drawing at the end of the quarter to win a new book from Faculty Development!

 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

CAFEs and Workshops

Faculty Workshop on Student Advising TODAY! Tuesday, October 28

CAFE Lifting SCU Voices on Wednesday, November 5

CAFE Classroom to Career on Wednesday, November 12

 

On Campus Writing Retreats & Other Events

On Campus Writing Retreat on Friday October 31

American Agitators: A Special Film Screening and Conversation on Tuesday, November 4

 

WANT TO READ A LITTLE MORE?

• For more on the traditional format and more examples of the Ignatian Examen you might want to start with resources from the Jesuits or our colleagues at Xavier University.
• See our DRT page on Ignatian Pedagogy.
• Our colleagues at Georgetown have a great resource on bringing reflection into your classroom.
• Peter-Hans Kolvenbach’s 2000 address at Santa Clara University: “The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice in American Jesuit Higher Education”

 

This week’s Tuesday Teaching Tip was prepared by Ana Karen Barragán, Fr. Matt Carnes, and Aaron Willis on behalf of the Faculty Development and the Center for Teaching Excellence.

Missed a teaching tip? Read them all here. 

And check out our full calendar of CAFEs and other Faculty Development events.