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The Seabrook Middle School Courage to Teach Journey
The Seabrook Middle School began its journey for creating a new model of school governance in 2010 with a two-year series of retreats based on the principles and practices of Courage to Teach®. Courage to Teach is always invitational. There is never a directive demanding participation. Courage to Teach is a facilitated retreat program in which cohorts of educators gather for a two year series of seasonal retreats to reflect on their lives and work and the meaning their work has for them and those whose lives they touch. In large and small group dialogues and in journaling and personal reflection using poetry, reflective practices and writings from a variety of wisdom traditions, facilitators lead participants in the creation of safe spaces for inner work which will impact their work in the world.
Our NH Courage & Renewal team met with the Seabrook Middle School faculty to explain the Courage to Teach process and encouraged those who were interested in committing to this process sign up with one of their peers who volunteered to be the contact person.
The first year of the retreat process focused on personal and professional renewal of each individual participating. The focus for the second year of Courage to Teach for the Seabrook teachers was based on Parker Palmer’s ideas on the essential elements necessary for the creation of collegial communities as delineated in his book, The Courage to Teach.
Three Elements Essential to Creating Collegial Communities
Introducing topics of conversation that move beyond technique
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Establishing ground rules for deep conversation
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Institutional arrangements that promote “good talk about good teaching.”
Four Stages of Social Change
Deep commitment to live “divided no more”
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The development of communities of congruence
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Going public with values and commitments
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Fostering the emergence of a system of external and internal rewards to sustain the movement’s vision and to put pressure for change on the standard institutional reward system.
NH Courage & Renewal was proud to participate in the journey over the past two years with the Seabrook Middle School teachers and staff who are enrolled in our Courage to Teach program. Our program concluded in November 2011. Thank You.
Jean and Anne |
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