I want to put the ever-rushing world
on pause.
Slow it down, so that I can breathe.
These bones are aching
to tell me something
but I cannot hear them.
~Lucy Pears /Medicine Woman
Being an educator has never been easy, and in these times, it is often hard to hear our own voice among all the others telling us what to do and how to do it. This retreat, rooted in the work of Parker J. Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal®, invites you to join a community of caring and committed educators to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with the meaning and purpose that are the foundations of our work.
We honor a broad definition of educator: if you work with young people, serve in a school setting, teach others, support families, mentor, or guide — this space is for you.
During this three-day early spring retreat we will reflect on nature’s lessons of growth and change as we strive to hear our own “inner teacher.” We will focus on what is most important to us, including values and hopes, fears and challenges. In large and small groups and solitary settings we will turn to our own stories and experiences, those of others in the circle, and to insights from diverse creators of poetry, art, music, and video to help us connect with ourselves and one another.
The retreat will include Clearness Committees, a discernment process derived from the Quaker tradition, where one “focus person” has the opportunity to explore an important question in the presence of a “committee” of others who listen deeply and offer open, honest questions.
Together we will apply principles and practices from the Courage & Renewal® approach to:
- Reconnect with the hope and passion that underlies our work as educators.
- Share stories of successes and challenges in our life and work with others.
- Engage in silent reflection through reading, journaling, and other forms of expression.
- Participate in a Clearness Committee designed to help find insight into a personal or professional challenge.
- Explore possibilities for renewed hope and a clearer vision for next steps.
The Center for Courage & Renewal and its facilitators do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.
