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Why Courage to Teach®?
Educators are our "culture heroes," individuals on whom
our society depends for so much, but for whom we provide so little
support and encouragement. Educators have little, if any, time for
reflection or shared contemplation with others in their field. Such
pursuits are left to the individual’s private life, and the isolation of
the classroom is compounded by the lack of collegial conversation about
issues and challenges that are critical to their students' success and
to their ability to remain fully engaged in and committed to their
profession. Having time to reflect on how or if one's values are guiding
their personal and professional development becomes increasingly
essential for job satisfaction and effectiveness.
Over the past
decade, Dr. Parker Palmer, an educational activist and
author of
Courage to Teach®, and colleagues across the country have created
an extraordinary approach to meeting this need. Focused initially on
public school teachers and leaders, Courage to Teach® programs
were developed by Parker Palmer and the
Center for Courage & Renewal
and in New England the programs are also associated with
Courage & Renewal Northeast.
The retreats help to renew the personal identity, professional integrity
and vocational vitality of educators and focus neither on "technique"
nor on school reform, but on renewing the inner lives of professionals
in education.
To familiarize yourself with the work
of educator, writer, and activist Parker Palmer, you may wish to read
his book, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a
Teacher’s Life, which provides the context for the program and
information on the retreat experience, and visit his Web site at www.couragerenewal.org/parker
.
| “Courage to Teach®
has provided me with a framework that allows me to reconnect
with the reasons I became a teacher. And I felt renewed
through the process”
-- Courage to
Teach
participant |
Who would
benefit from Courage to Teach®?
We welcome all educators in Aroostook County, from Pre-K teachers through university faculty, Cooperative Extension faculty, professionals
and para-professionals, and school leaders. Priority will
be given to accepting educators and school leaders in Aroostook County.
Those registering from outside the County will be placed on a waiting
list and notified when space becomes available.
| “I say that it is a
program that is incredibly respectful of the work of
teachers. It provides a space where I can reflect on my work
as a teacher in a space where others are doing the same.”
-- Courage to
Teach
participant |
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Last
Modified:
08/19/09
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