Forming Watchful Teens, by Wendell Hull

By Wendell Hull, Crisis Magazine, Feb. 28, 2022

This past year, I started hosting movie nights for our teens and some of their friends, with the goal of helping them to become discerning users of film. These evenings are an extension of our homeschooling—educating the whole person. We only watch classic black-and-white films where the images, acting, and script develop clear characters to evaluate from a Catholic perspective. I start with an introduction to the movie and pause the film a few times to discuss the action.

I call it “watch and stop” and started this method with my children when they were young. Developing minds need to pause and reflect on what they are sensing. Reading books allows this, but uninterrupted viewing does not. …

Continue reading >>>>