The Teacher Renewal Journey

Teaching is a challenging profession. To sustain teachers’ passion and commitment to the profession it is necessary for teachers to revisit their sense of purpose and mission from time to time. Teacher Renewal provides teachers with the time and space to explore their inner purpose and rediscover their passion and vocation for teaching.

The Teacher Renewal journey entitled Teaching From Within: A Call to Renewal is a year long process that begins with an initial 2-day residential session, followed by 4 half-day booster sessions spread over the year and culminates in a final 2-day residential session. The sessions are intentionally paced slowly and quietly for teachers to engage in deep reflection and to reconnect with their inner selves as they seek deeper meaning behind teaching as a profession.

The approach of Teacher Renewal is school-based and invitational. This allows the teachers to journey together over a year. During the Teacher Renewal journey, participants are guided through various experiences that help them to explore their identity and integrity. There are opportunities for them to spend time alone, with one or two other participants, and with the larger group. Participants will be engaged in personal reflection and then in conversation with others to share insights and connections.

The Teacher Renewal Journey involves several experiences.

• Each participant will spend the majority of his/her time in a small group of 5-6. There will also be opportunities to spend time alone, with one or two other participants, and with the large group.
  
• The pace of the days will be much slower than the “usual teaching day” as a slower rhythm helps promote quiet, reflection and inner work.
  
• A rhythm will be established and used over and over again throughout the two days. This rhythm consists of the renewal guides offering something to consider, silent reflection on the part of individual participants, and then small group conversation to share insights and connections.
  
• Since a renewal process is a very personal process it is, then, an invitational process. That is, each participant will have the choice as to whether he/she will participate in a given experience and as to how much he/she wishes to share with others.
  
• A renewal process is not “training, nor is it a “seminar” or a “class”. Therefore, the renewal guides will not be providing training or lectures. A renewal process is very personal and involves the inner work of searching and learning about oneself as contrasted with the outer work of learning skills or techniques.
  
• After the initial 2-day renewal experience, four half-day “booster renewals” will be offered during the following eleven months.
  
• A second 2-day renewal experience will be offered as closure to the 1-year teacher renewal journey.
  
• It is important that you know, and believe, that you have choice. So your choice involves either saying “yes” or “no” to this invitation. You do not need an excuse or a rationale for saying “no” or “yes”.

Teacher Renewal Stories of past participants are available on Academy of Singapore Teachers website.