Nourishing the Soul of the Teacher: A Paradigm Shift in Education
A Conference Calling Forth Imagination, Creativity, Spritual Life, Leadership and Action
| ABOUT US |
| THE CONFERENCE |
| REGISTRATION |
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| CONTACT |
The Essential Leadership Conference Springbank Retreat Center, Kingstree, South Carolina, USA June 2-4, 2006 |
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Nourishing the Soul of the Teacher: Paradigm Shift in Education
A Conference Calling Forth Creativity, Imagination, Spiritual Life, Leadership and Action
Where do we go to nourish ourselves in the work we do as we continue to inspire imagination, creativity and possibility with the children and young people with whom we work?
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What are the ways we restore and refill ourselves as we become mentors, invite children and young people to honor their multiple identities and cultures, to know that their voice matters, that what they feel and think is important and worthy, modeling that we each have the knowing to liberate, empower and create our lives?
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How do we invite and create a greater sense of community, spirituality, wholeness and shared purpose as leaders in education and the arts?
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As Artists and Teachers we work with possibility and potential. We work to make meaning and shape consciousness. We invite young people to step into the world of literature, the written word, other languages, the worlds of music, art, dance, history, science, mathematics, the worlds of pattern, rhythm and mood and of the mystery that engages the existential question, “What are my unique gifts and purpose?” We offer the opportunity for young people to enter into places they have not yet been, liberating their hearts and opening their lives to possibilities not yet realized. We expand on the definition of education when we provide places of safety and respect, help kids make meaning of their world, and the possibilities for their lives, to believe in themselves and their visions in the face of pressure of teaching to the ‘standards’ or the ‘mandated tests’. We are radical thinkers as we transgress the boundary between the heart and mind and educate the whole child. We shift the dominant paradigm when we blur the boundaries between the secular and the sacred. We are agents of change when we ask our students and ourselves to become cultural voyagers, honoring the identity, integrity and spirit of each person, knowing that each moment, each experience, each child is sacred. We make art because art is an open language, a spiritual language that both honors and transgresses socially constructed boundaries, awakening the sacred in our humanity and nourishes us all.
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Learning Through the Arts Supports
*our students with their potential and beyond
*literacy development
*creates environments for critical thinking and engaged learning
*social, emotional and intellectual health
*our students becoming more vibrant, enlivened and active participants in the learning process
*cultural understanding and connection
*cultural knowledge, honoring our students as they begin to value themselves and each other
*students in deepening their compassion, identity and integrity
*students' ability to make wise choices
and ultimately their ability to love and be loved
Art-making and tending to our spirit with great care does the same for us.