Course Descriptions
The Foundation Course: Introduction to the Soul of Education
Experience renewal, reflection and practical strategies for your work with children and youth at this institute for teachers, counselors and administrators where we focus on building heart, spirit and community in the classroom. Based on the model developed by PassageWorks founder, Rachael Kessler, and featured in The Soul of Education (ASCD 2000), this course will explore:
- The theory of social and emotional learning (SEL);
- The integration of play, ritual, stillness, expressive arts and community building;
- How to develop your own reflectiveness and “teaching presence”;
- How to create a caring classroom environment in which students will increase focus and motivation to learn and develop empathy and compassion;
- Stages of group development and methods appropriate to each grade level; and
- Ways to integrate this work into your teaching.
Methods learned in this course can be integrated into your classroom and do not represent "something else" to teach, but a heartfelt way to breathe new life into what and how you teach.
Teaching Presence
We can have the best curricula available, train teachers in technique and theory, but our programs will not adequately address the core issues of young hearts and minds if we do not provide opportunities for teachers to further develop their own souls, hearts, and social and emotional intelligence. Beyond methodology and content, the most effective teaching includes a more elusive quality that profoundly affects the learning that is possible – what we have called “the teaching
presence.” We celebrate those precious moments when we embody a “presence” that carries the class to a place where young learners are profoundly moved and genuine connections occur. Most teachers have experienced this powerful presence on certain occasions. But how can we cultivate and sustain this capacity?
In this workshop, we explore four interconnected qualities that evoke the “teaching presence” in the classroom:
- Teaching with an open heart
- Exploring obstacles and opportunities for becoming present in the classroom
- Holding respectful discipline—setting boundaries with compassion
- Developing emotional range—growing comfort with a full range of emotions in ourselves and our students: joy, grief, anger, exuberance, fear, silence, vulnerability