Teacher Leaders Retreat Series

COURAGE TO LEAD® FOR TEACHER LEADERS
2009 RETREAT SERIES

Ultimately, leadership development is a process of self-discovery.
Musicians have their instruments. Engineers have their computers.
 Accountants have their calculators. Leaders have themselves.
They are their own instruments.
--Jim Kouzes

If it ain’t in your heart, it ain’t in your horn.
--Charlie Parker

A New Foundational Approach For Districts Developing Teacher Leadership


While most professional development focuses on “outer” dimensions or skills (instructional strategies, content knowledge, models of coaching) Courage & Renewal focuses on the “inner” dimension, the deeper core capacities needed to thrive as a leader (courage, resilience, balance, integrity.) This is a unique opportunity for Districts eager to energize the roles of teacher leaders.

Why Teacher Leadership?
Every school or district that hopes to deliver on the mission of high achievement for all students involves teachers in a wide variety of leadership roles. School improvement depends upon building the capacity of emerging and current teacher leaders to courageously serve over the long term.

Unique Challenges of Teacher Leaders

  • Teachers who step up to lead face unique challenges because often
  • the role of teacher leader is not clearly defined - involving much responsibility but little or no formal authority;
  • school culture makes it difficult for colleagues to support, appreciate or learn gracefully from peers, which can lead to a loss of support or sense of isolation;
  • they feel tension being “in the middle” between teachers and administrators; and
  • access to professional development for newly needed leadership skills is limited.
 
Navigating these tricky waters requires courage and clarity, as well as the support of others.

What are Courage to Lead Retreats?
Using an approach developed by Parker J. Palmer, author of Courage to Teach, A Hidden Wholeness, and Let Your Life Speak, highly experienced Courage & Renewal facilitators (themselves former teacher leaders) will guide a carefully sequenced series of four quarterly retreats for a cohort of twenty-five teacher leaders. Each residential retreat will begin Friday with dinner and end Sunday at noon. The retreats will be held quarterly at Mountain River Lodge in Snoqualmie Pass between March and November, 2009.


What happens at the retreats?
Each retreat includes individual and collegial activities around seasonal themes, using the power of reflection and a diverse range of poetry and teaching stories, journaling, art, music, nature, and dialogue. Using respectful and safe processes, participants learn new approaches to asking open, honest questions and listening deeply to themselves and others. Each retreat also includes unscheduled time to rest, play, exercise, and explore the natural world. Over time, the members will support each other’s growth as they explore the interconnection of their personal and professional lives.

What are the outcomes?
  • The program will help teacher leaders to:
  • strengthen collegial bonds and form a powerful professional learning community;
  • renew and clarify their vision and passion for teaching and leadership;
  • increase their sense of integrity – being able to consistently align their actions with their core values,  at work and beyond;
  • affirm the importance of renewal, long term sustainability, reflection and self-care;
  • activate their courage in leading for what matters most.


Washington Courage & Renewal
Formerly known as Washington Courage to Teach, WCR is a small non-profit that, since 1996, has led retreats and workshops to renew the courage, commitment, and integrity of over 4000 people who serve children, families, and the community, most of them educators. WCR is part of a national network of facilitators and an affiliate of the Center for Courage & Renewal. We also collaborate with organizations, schools, and districts to offer custom-designed Courage & Renewal experiences in the workplace.

Retreat Details

Who:     Teacher Leaders in Washington schools and districts in Washington State
 
Where:    Mountain River Lodge, Snoqualmie Pass   

When:     4 weekend retreats  (you must commit to attending all) Fri. Dinner – Sun. noon

Winter:  Mar 20 – 22, 2009
Spring:  May 15 – 17, 2009   
Summer:  Aug 14-16, 2009   
Fall:  Nov 20 -22, 2009
 
Cost:      $2000 for meals, lodging, materials and program for all 4 retreats.

Leaders:     WC&R facilitators and education leaders Terry Chadsey and Yarrow Durbin, and program partner Ann Healy-Raymond–Professional Development Director for ESD 114 and Integral coach.

Advanced Registration Required – Group Limit 25
Applications due: Feb. 25, 2009
Clock Hours Available
Register Online or
Contact us for more information at 206-633-2888 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


As this job of school leadership becomes more and more challenging, it is tempting to lose heart, to give up, to acquiesce, to just say, “Whatever.” These are the times when good leaders “retreat.”  These are the times when they make time to reflect on what called them to leadership in the first place.  It is a time to think and feel deeply–alone and with others—about the heart of their own leadership.                                          John Morefield