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Faculty Formation Retreat Series

Overview

Formation retreats offer a safe space to pose questions, seek answers, examine motives, and explore new ideas about teaching and learning in today's world. . .about a vocation that has experienced extraordinary change. . . and the strength of your commitment. Formation retreats are designed as a place for the renewal of mind, heart and spirit of the teacher. Without abandoning the outer world, Formation is the process of creating a quiet, focused, and disciplined space in which the noise within us and around us can subside so that the inner voice of authenticity and integrity might be heard. During the retreats, we join together to:

  • connect as a group with the traditional wisdom of poets, storytellers, and artists
  • collaborate with others around personal experiences and insights
  • contemplate our inner beliefs through intervals of solitary reflection

A retreat is a time to uncover and perhaps recover our inner teacher. Participants are invited to speak honestly about their lives while listening and responding to each other - and to themselves - with encouragement and compassion. With a focus on soul and role, the retreats strive to develop a deeper understanding of how being a teacher intersects with who we are as a person.

Elements

  • The renewing of heart, mind, and spirit through the exploration of the inner landscape of an individual’s life
  • A reconnecting to one's identity and integrity; identifying and honoring gifts and strengths, and acknowledging limits
  • The focus of the curricula is on inner work. We recognize the "inner teacher" within each individual, and the relationship between inner and outer work, as fundamental to the program.
  • Honest and open listening without judgment is a crucial element. A fundamental principle of the Formation process is: Don't try to fix each other.
  • The use of a "third thing" - such as a story, poem, or art - allows participants to work at a deeper level via the gift of the poem or story or art. It is not about exploring the artist or his/her historical moment, etc., but about exploring ourselves, our own inner lives, at both a personal and archetypal level.
  • The Formation process maintains a retreat format, rather than taking a "workshop" approach. Silence and solitude have an honored place in the program. Time for reflection, journaling, and quiet meditation are part of the fabric of each retreat.
  • Deep confidentiality and trust are strong hallmarks of this program. Holding space for diverse voices, within recognized and respected boundaries, contributes to the creation of a trustworthy space within which to do this work.

History

In 1994, Dr. Parker Palmer, noted educational leader and author, convened a group of educators in a retreat setting to explore the concepts outlined in his book Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. The basic premise of this retreat was, “We teach who we are” and that good teaching does not come from technique but from the identity and integrity of the teacher. This one retreat started a nation-wide movement for the deep professional development of teachers and educational leaders labeled as Formation.

In 2001, with the assistance of Parker Palmer, the Fetzer Institute, and the League for Innovation in the Community College, this work formally expanded to higher education with the establishment of the Center for Formation in The Community College in Dallas Texas. Grand Rapids Community College was an inaugural member of this national network of colleges, institutes, and individuals. Since then we have been providing retreats to GRCC Faculty, College Leadership, and staff as well as offering and presenting this work at a state and national level.

Information & application process

Based on your feedback, we have changed the structure of the Formation Retreats. We've heard from several of you that you would like to participate, but cannot commit to three weekends. To that end, we are now offering the retreats as a single, three day experience. We are offering two introductory retreats. One will be November 9 - 11. The second will be offered February 1 - 3. Each of these begin with the evening meal on the first day and end with lunch on the third day. You only register for one of these. We will then be offering a continuing retreat June 1 - 3. This will be an optional experience for anyone who wants to expand their Formation experience.

Again, participation will be on a first come - first served basis so sign-up soon for either the November 9 - 11 or the February 1 - 3 introductory session. To do so, contact Wanda Blanco at wblanco@grcc.edu or call her at 616.234.4547.

 

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