Thinking Beyond the Tangible: How Abstract Learning Comes Alive in Mr. Contreras’s Classroom

In Mr. Contreras’s classroom, history comes alive through creativity and imagination — helping students think critically, connect with the past, and grow as lifelong learners.

At St. Victor School, learning goes beyond memorization. Through abstract learning and hands-on projects, our middle school students learn to think critically, make connections across subjects, and apply knowledge with creativity and faith.

Education researchers have long noted the importance of abstract learning — the ability to comprehend ideas that aren’t directly tangible or observable — as a key to critical thinking and creativity (as highlighted in “The Power of Abstract Learning: A Comprehensive Guide” by Funderstanding). For middle school religion and social studies teacher Mr. Contreras, that means helping students move past memorization and into meaning. “I don’t just want them to do research,” he explains. “I want them to step into history — to see, feel, and think like the people they’re studying.”

From Information to Imagination

In Mr. Contreras’s class, students aren’t simply collecting facts; they’re interpreting them through creativity and empathy.

• When learning about the Revolutionary War, students design persuasive posters with slogans and imagery inspired by the rhetoric of the time — just as our forefathers once did.

• During a unit on monastic life, religion students spend a class period in a monk simulation — chanting, cleaning, and praying to understand the rhythm and discipline of a monk’s day.

• And when studying early humans, students don’t just label tools; they create detailed artwork depicting how those tools were used, connecting craftsmanship and culture.

Each project is rooted in one powerful idea: when students experience hands-on, project-based learning, knowledge becomes personal — and abstract concepts come to life.

Seeing Themselves in the Story

By engaging their imagination, Mr. Contreras’s students begin to recognize familiar traits in people from the past — courage, curiosity, cooperation, fear, and faith. They notice how the struggles and decisions of history echo their own lives and the world around them.

This approach transforms the classroom from a place of memorization into one of connection. Students not only remember what they’ve learned — they relate to it.

The Faith Connection

At its heart, abstract learning aligns beautifully with St. Victor’s Catholic identity. Faith calls us to see beyond what is visible — to seek meaning, purpose, and truth in all things. When students learn to think abstractly, they are also learning to look deeper, to reflect, and to see God’s presence woven through every story.

What It Means to a Charger

For Chargers, abstract learning means more than understanding — it’s about empathy, imagination, and faith in action. It teaches students to find meaning beneath the surface, to connect lessons of the past to the choices of today, and to see the hand of God in both.

Through projects that invite curiosity and compassion, Mr. Contreras helps students grow into thinkers and believers — lifelong learners who understand that wisdom doesn’t come from memorizing facts, but from recognizing the humanity that connects us all.

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Inspired by “The Power of Abstract Learning: A Comprehensive Guide,” originally published by Funderstanding. St. Victor School thanks the authors for their thoughtful exploration of this topic, which continues to inform and inspire our approach to teaching and learning.