Saturday, October 19, 2013

The Academy for Teachers

It seems that my plan to become the Joseph Campbell of the Kinder set has gained some traction!

I was contacted recently by The Academy for Teachers to inform me that the "excellent work" I am doing with elementary school students in the realm of fairy tales and mythology has been recognized.

They invited me to attend (through a nomination process I knew nothing about) a Master class on fairy tales with Harvard professor Maria Tatar being held at The New York Public Library.

When I was first notified of this honor I did not know anything about The Academy for Teachers.  It turns out it is a "new organization that honors and supports strong teachers.  We bring prominent experts together with small groups of teachers led by Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, academic superstars, major artists, and other leading lights".  A little Internet search brought me to their mission statement which reads...

Teaching is our most important profession but teacher morale is falling.  Our front-line educators are burdened by tests and isolated in their classrooms. They get discouraged.  At times, they feel maligned.  Fifty percent of new teachers leave the profession within five years, and the problem is worse in our most troubled schools.

Education can't only be about tests: Great teachers have passion and passion must be nurtured.  The Academy respects our educators as intellectuals in need of inspiration and support.  Our Master Classes reignite a teacher's own love of learning.  We are also building a community of like-minded teachers who support one another beyond participation in Master Classes.

We launch in New York City but our program sends a message to teachers everywhere: Your work is important and it's valued by our culture's best minds and institutions.

WOW!

It is a though they read my sad little blog post and decided to bring back joy.  It's amazing how the universe takes care of us, isn't it?

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