Courage to teach — Aroostook County

16 years ago
    Aroostook County has been selected as a pilot site for the Courage to Teach Retreat program. This program is open to all educators, pre-K to 12, including school leaders, Cooperative Extension faculty, professionals and paraprofessionals, university faculty and staff. It is sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service.     This special event includes five weekends from October 2009 through October 2010. It is designed to reconnect and reignite the passion educators had when they first began their careers.
There has been a deluge of new programs, standards and expectations thrust upon the educators today. It has become more challenging for teachers to utilize a day of creativity, teach for knowledge yet constantly checking to make sure every minute is directed to the educational discipline expected for that lesson. Today’s teachers are teaching to meet standards, benchmarks, portfolio expectations and state evaluations.
It is easy for teachers to become overwhelmed with the paperwork, after school meetings or classes to teach new programs. There is no time to create discussion groups within the school, new lessons, solve problems or just learn from others within the building.
Statistics indicate that 50 percent of teachers leave education in the first five years.
This five-weekend retreat has been created to give educators time to reflect on their personal and professional values and to renew their commitment to the educational profession.
Dr. Parker Palmer, an educational activist and author of Courage to Teach and colleagues across the country have created an extraordinary approach to meeting this need.
There are only 13 slots available for this first-time opportunity offered to Aroostook County educators. Participants will meet each season at the beautiful Hewes Brook Lodge in Portage. The Lodge offers canoeing on Fish River, great food and a relaxing atmosphere. There will be three facilitators to lead discussions and activities. They are, Shirley Hager, associate extension professor Emeriti and a former middle school teacher; Doug Babkirk, associate director of the University of Maine Co-operative Extension Service; and Dr. Richard Ackerman, associate professor of education at the University of Maine college of education and human development. There will be both individual and group sessions designed around the season. Educators will be exposed to poetry, stories that teach, journaling, art, nature and dialogue.
There will be time spent reflecting alone and with others. The activities are optional; each person is free to participate as they wish. There will also be time to explore areas around the lodge, rest and exercise.
This retreat offers CEUs and/or graduate course credit. The weekends are scheduled for October 23-25, January 8-10, 2010, April 30-May 2, August 20-22 and October 15-17. All retreats begin at 6 p.m. on Friday evenings with dinner and conclude with lunch on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The fee for all five weekends is $500 and can be paid in two installments. Inquire at your school district for professional development monies that could cover the cost. The deadline for registration is May 29. To apply and secure your spot download an application from the Web site: www.extension.umaine.edu/courage2teach/retreats.htm or call Babkirk at 712-1414.