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“Is this person the same on the inside as he or she appears to be on the outside? Children ask this about their parents, students about their teachers, employees about their supervisors, patients about their physicians, and citizens about their political leaders. When the answer is yes, we relax, believing that we are in the presence of integrity and feeling secure enough to invest ourselves in the relationship and all that surrounds it.”
– Parker J. Palmer |
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(CTT) is a program of quarterly retreats for the personal and professional renewal of public school educators. The program is especially designed for pre K-12 educators—teachers, counselors, and administrators on whom our society depends for so much but for whom we provide so little. Courage to Teach focuses neither on "technique," nor on school reform, but rather on renewing the inner lives of professionals in education.
CTT was developed by Parker J. Palmer, Ph. D. and the Fetzer Institute in 1994. Courage to Teach:
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renews heart, mind, and spirit through the exploration of the inner landscape of a teacher’s life
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reconnects to one’s identity and integrity—identifying and honoring gifts and strengths, and acknowledging limits
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creates a context for careful listening and deep connection that also honors diversity in person and profession
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helps educators create safe spaces and trusting relationships in their schools, with their students and colleagues, and within their communities
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explores the connection between attending to the inner life of educators and the renewal of public education
Each CTT group consists of educators who gather for quarterly retreats over a one or two-year period. In large-group, small-group, and solitary settings, "the heart of a teacher" is explored, making use of personal stories, reflections on classroom practice, and insights from poets, storytellers, and various wisdom traditions. Each retreat follows a seasonal theme, using the rich metaphors of the seasons as a way of exploring vocational and life questions.
Please see the story about Linwood School District in partnership with the New Hampshire Humanities Council and The Tomey Center at Antioch New England University to better understand how Courage to Teach empowered a group of teachers to change the climate of their school leading to improved student outcomes. At the present time Professional Renewal Resources is working with the Department of Education and the Humanities Council to fund two more school districts whose teachers may be interested in duplicating the Lin-wood story within the parameters of their own culture and climate.
Many Educators Ask:
What is Courage to Teach?
Parker Palmer explains...
Continuing Education Units or Graduate Credit Hours are now awarded
by Keene State College or Antioch University
for participating in a
CTT or CTL "series"
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