Our Center for Reaching & Teaching the Whole Child (CRTWC) May Newsletter opened with us sharing about the ‘why’ behind the creation of the CRTWC Anchor Competency Framework. Since our last newsletter, we had the incredible opportunity to enact our collective “why” through a 2-day ‘in-person’ Kick-Off Retreat with a group of teacher educators in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS).
The MPS Teacher Educator Institute (TEI) Kick-Off Retreat was a truly inspiring event that allowed CRTWC to build a thriving professional learning community with teacher educators who are involved in the first-ever district teacher licensure program for Special Education teachers in Minnesota – the MPS Academy. Over the course of two dynamic days, teacher educators (including PAR Mentors, Faculty in the MPS Academy, and District Administrators) immersed themselves in hands-on activities and lively discussions, deepening their understanding of the CRTWC Anchor Competencies Framework. Participants began examining their assumptions and beliefs about teaching and supporting teacher candidates, as well as practiced approaches for fostering the development of the seven anchor competencies in their teacher candidates and, subsequently, their students.
Over the last four years, CRTWC has presented many Teacher Educator Institutes (TEIs) by Zoom. They have been generative and positive experiences, however, the opportunity to return in person was a powerful reminder of the importance of being in the presence of others in a shared space when building trusting relationships and creating community. In our work as educators , we often are presented with the necessity of bringing individuals–teachers, students, families, and community members—together in a space for a particular purpose. As we considered our overarching goal for the TEI in MPS, we intentionally incorporated experiences that would foster ‘connection and community’ focused on a common goal of creating a professional learning community for teacher educators – a community to facilitate the sharing of best practices and to support the collective development of their social, emotional, and cultural lens.
Our work in the MPS TEI was driven by the following considerations:
- How do we create a sense of community?
- How do we embrace individual contexts as essential to developing a collective ‘why’?
- How do we use the ‘moment’ to build a safe and brave space for mutual learning and collaboration?
In “Teaching with a Social, Emotional, and Cultural Lens,” Nancy Markowitz and Suzanne Bouffard (2020) ‘unpack’ the Social, Emotional and Cultural Anchor Competencies Framework. They highlight four examples of teacher moves or strategies that serve as building blocks for creating community—a sense of belonging:
- Foster individual voice
- Create a culture of engagement
- Affirm each other’s assets
- Attend to status issues
When we create a space that recognizes and celebrates the uniqueness of each individual’s voice and contribution, we model the mantra, “YOU matter, You make a difference, YOU are the difference. We are a community.” It is important that every choice is made with the understanding that we are working together for the collective good. This is not an easy task. In fact, building a sense of community takes time, especially in the classroom, the school, and the community. In many ways, it is a 2-steps forward and sometimes 1-step back process. It begins with the belief that creating community is essential in the development of the social, emotional, and cultural lens.
So, what did we learn from the MPS TEI that underscores our collective ‘why’ at CRTWC and might be helpful for you when contemplating the community you seek to create? Below are a few thoughts from our team members…
- “It was pure delight to be in a room with dedicated, growth-minded, and committed teacher educators. Look around…who is in your room?”
- “Your story and the story of others matter. Create a sacred space to take the time needed to share the ‘stories’ with each other. This is where the connection of community begins. This is when the ‘I’ becomes a ‘WE’.”
- “Model reciprocal vulnerability through your own humility, truth, and honesty.”
- “Be fully present. Listen and learn about each other. What is the collective ‘Why’?”
- “Nurture engagement and participation. It is truly a win if you can stir up excitement and passion for being a change agent for the good of all.”
- “Seeing the Framework as a self-awareness tool that can be used by teachers and teacher educators to empower and advocate for themselves and their students.”
We look forward to sharing about our most recent Kick-Off Retreat this past June with Oregon Teacher Educators in our newsletter next month. Until then…
In ‘Joy” for the Work….
The CRTWC Team
EXCITING NEWS!
In May, CRTWC received a $15,000 grant donation from the Margaret & Kapil Nanda Family Foundation to support the development of tools and resources for teacher educators in Silicon Valley and beyond.
