Courage to Teach®: Nature & Renewal Day for Educators
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We invite you to participate in a one-day Courage to Teach® retreat experience for Boston Public School teachers and teachers in the greater Boston area. Based on the work of Parker J. Palmer, Courage to Teach® is rooted in the belief that good teaching flows from the identity and integrity of the teacher. This professional development opportunity focuses on renewing the inner lives and well-being of educators. You will experience invitations, alone and together with other educators, to reflect on your life and teaching through an exploration of the natural world, woven together with insights from poets, storytellers, mindfulness, and the arts.
Educators need encouragement and opportunities to prioritize their own well-being so that they can stay physically and emotionally healthy and actively engaged in their own growth and professional development. In so doing, educators benefit overall and are able to fully engage in the wellness and academic growth of their students.
With activities such as drawing, journaling, and mindful walking, we will share a live encounter with the landscape in spring as a focus for reflection on the connection between who you are and what you do, strengthening your capacity for, and commitment to, nurturing your own heart and mind and those of your students.
Breakfast and lunch are included.
Accessibility: This program involves walking over pavement, gravel, and mowed grass.
Facilitators
Chandra Joseph-Lacet
Chandra has spent the last 29 years working in the field of education. She began her career in Higher Education working in various Student Affairs Departments and later transitioned to K-12 education and began her teaching career as an Elementary School Teacher with the Boston Public Schools. In addition to working as an Elementary School Teacher, Chandra has also served as a Special Education Teacher, Literacy Coach, Special Education Coordinator, Assistant Principal and coach for early career teachers. Chandra firmly believes that just as every student deserves high-quality teachers, every teacher deserves high-quality coaching and support for continued growth and development. Chandra holds a B.A. in Academic Sociology from Wagner College in Staten Island, NY, a Master’s Degree in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education from New York University and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from UMASS Boston. She also holds licenses in Elementary Education, Special Education, Reading, and has her Principal/Assistant Principal Administrator’s license. Chandra is the co-host of “Real Talk, Real Time with Chandra and Gorgette,” a podcast experience supporting teachers through the complexities and changes in teaching and learning.
Lisa Sankowski
Lisa is a Circle of Trust Facilitator, prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal. She provides administrative leadership for organizations and professional programs that inspire and prepare educational leaders and has dedicated her career to working with nonprofit organizations that serve adults and children in creative learning environments, including Hale Education, the Center for Artistry and Scholarship, the Open Circle Social Competency Program, the Center for Courage & Renewal, and Boston Children’s Museum. She is also a painter and sculptor. Lisa earned a B.A. from Smith College and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Pamela Seigle
Pamela considers it a privilege to work with teachers and principals in building equitable school communities where everyone feels valued, seen and heard. She led Courage & Renewal Northeast at Wellesley College, which started as an affiliate of the national Center for Courage & Renewal. She is the founder of Open Circle, a whole-school social and emotional learning program, and she is co-developer of Leading Together: Building Adult Communities in Schools and Soul of Leadership: Courage, Presence and Integrity. Pamela brings her love of singing and the belief that the arts connect us to our shared humanity into her work in schools and nonprofit organizations. Pamela has served on many nonprofit boards, including as a Trustee of the Boston Public LIbrary. She earned a B.A. in Literature and an M.S. in Urban Education from Syracuse University.
