The Courage To Teach

"Most of us become teachers for reasons
of the heart; we teach because we care deeply about
our students and about some subject. But the demands
of teaching and the conditions in some schools
cause too many of us to lose heart as the years go by.
Is it possible to take heart once more so that we can continue
to do what good teachers always do, which is to give heart
to our students?"

Parker Palmer
Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of the Teacher's Life

Deadline extended! We are still accepting applications for our upcoming Courage to Teach cycle. Click here for more information.

What is Courage to Teach?

Courage to Teach is designed especially for K-12 teachers, those of whom society demands much but rewards little in terms of encouragement and support. We focus neither on teacher techniques nor on school reform; instead, we focus on renewing something much more personal, the inner life of the teacher.

In large groups, small groups, and solitary settings, participants explore "the heart of the teacher." Teachers share stories from their own journeys, reflect on classroom practice, and draw upon the insights of poets, storytellers, and diverse cultural traditions. We invite teachers to speak honestly about their lives as educators, and to listen and respond to each other with encouragement and compassion. Included on a following page are comments from participants in Lewis & Clark Courage to Teach retreats to give you a sense of what this experience has meant to others.

The Courage to Teach is developed around the themes of agriculture and seasons, and addresses issues relating to the identity and integrity of the teacher. Participants explore how teaching, like the seasons, contains paradoxes, that our teaching entails many changes in weather and conditions, that there is much about teaching that is underground, uncertain, and that the emerging life of the classroom is organic, not mechanical, and not always measurable.

In 2008-2009, we have 2 separate 1-weekend sampler retreats planned, and for the 2009-2010 academic year we will offer a year-long cycle. Participants in Courage to Teach are asked to commit themselves to faithful attendance at four seasonal retreats scheduled from Thursday evening through Saturday lunch between September and July. These sessions are held at retreat centers throughout the Pacific Northwest. Participation is limited to 24 teachers.

The Courage to Teach program is a national effort based on the writings of Parker Palmer, Ph.D., under the sponsorship of the Fetzer Institute in Michigan. If you are interested in learning more about the program and reading articles about this work, please visit www.teacherformation.org.