Starting WithSam M. Intratorand Robert Kunzman

when it comes toprofessional develop-meni for teachers,we think AbrahamMaslow had it wrong.

We make this claim partly because ithas rhetorical flourish, but morebecause we helieve that professionaldevelopment practices in our schoolsadhere to a philosophical orientationresembling Maslow's famous hierarchyof needs. Maslovv' (1943) posited thatpeople are motivated by a certain orderof needs: Our needs at the bottom of thepyramid, such as for food and safety,must be satisfied hefore we can pursuethe higher needs of love, self-esteem,and self-actualization.

A similar logic holds svv'ay in designingprofessional development. We assumet hat to he prepared for the reality of theclassroom, teachers must first be trainedin such subsistence strategies and tech-niques as classroom management,guided reading models, cooperativelearning, and process writing. Onceteachers leam these hasic skills, we canaddress their higher needs hy helpingthem reflect on their deeper purposes aseducators. Yet as professional develop-ment workshops continue to emphasizecontent matter, technical skills, andpedagogical theory, many teachers areresponding to these offerings with skep-ticism, impatience, and an underlyingiack of enthusiasm (Farkas, Johnson, &Duffett, 2003).

We helteve that effective professionaldevelopment and the powerful teaching

the SoulHow can we nurtureteachers jor the longhaul? Stop puttingsubsistence strategiesahead of deeper needs.

il can cultivate require an inversion ofMaslow's pyramid. We need to beginwith the soul of the enterprise, thepassion and purpose that animateteachers' ongoing commitment tostudents and learning. Too many of ourconversations about effective teachingfocus on content, teaching methods,and learning outcomes. We neglectteachers themselves, the individualswho step in front of students each daycommitted to engaging them in theunpredictable and challenging processof learning.

Teachers yearn for professionaldevelopment experiences that not onlyadvance their skills and knowledgehase but also simultaneously probetheir sense of purpose and invite delib-eration about what matters most ingood teaching. Evoking the inner life ofour teachers—that is, engaging teachersin activities that cultivate their capacityto teach with greater consciousness,self-awareness, and integrity—is anecessary condition for successfulprofessional development.

Sustaining Growthfor the Long HaulTeaching day after day can exact aformidable toll on idealism, energy, andpresence. No amount of professionaldevelopment focused merely on tech-nical proficiency will matter to teacherswho are feeling overwhelmed, adnft intheir mission, or disconnected fromlike-minded colleagues. You can be alone ranger for only so long. Manyteachers we work with describe theirfrustrations at professional develop-ment experiences tocused on yet

another curricular program, pedagog-ical innovation, or assessment tool.These teachers struggle most profoundlywith how to keep learning andgrowing, and how to rekindle the senseof passion and purpose essential formaintaining such growth over the long

The way to trulyincrease teachers'capacities andskills is to engagetheir souls.

haul. Schools need to better appreciatethe role of professional development insustaining teachers for the long term.

Models of Successful GrowthIf we step back from our focus onschools and look at how any successfulorganization envisions professionaldevelopment, it's not a stretch to saythat groups who sustain their workersdo turn Maslow's pyramid upsidedown.

Peter Senge's influential book SchoolsThat learn (2000) contends that ifschools are to be successful in anincreasingly competitive world—and ifeducators are to help students over-come systemic inequities—then schoolsmust become organizations staffed byindividuals who know how to leamand grow. Senge lays out the Five disci-plines of an organization that learns:

personal mastery, shared vision, mentalmodels, team learning, and systemsthinking.

Senge asserts that instead of empha-sizing the cultivation of technical skillsor strategies, professional guidanceshould begin by helping each indi-vidual articulate a coherent personalvision. The primary challenge is to helppeople develop a set of practices that"keep their dreams whole while culti-vating an awareness of the currentreality around them" (p. 59). Effectivereform and personal growth beginwhen individuals work to develop adeep understanding of their ownthinking and when an organizationcomes together to foster a sense ofshared purpose.

Two organizational researchers fromStanford (Collins & Porras, 1994) whoexamined what distinguishes an organi-zation that is merely "good" from onethat has achieved enduring successdiscovered that collective passion andmission were at the core of the latterkind of organization. Their findingsdramatically support our contention.Organizations that flourish tend to beguided by what Collins and Porras calla "core ideology" that is infused amonggroup members. The emergence of thisideology is not left to chance; the orga-nization intentionally cultivates it bymaking it the centerpiece of regularprofessional development activities.This core ideology serves as the drivingpurpose and inspiration behind deci-sion making, employee development,and resource allocation.

Andy Hargreaves and Michael Eullan(1998) speak more specifically about

F O R S L I P F R V I S I O N A N D C U R R I C U L U M D E V H i . o p M t N T 39

reforming the profession of teaching.They argue that education policy-makers and administrators typicallyoverlook the role that a teachers senseof purpose plays in education change.Educators will not change their prac-tice, adopt new methods, or rethinktheir approach if they do not believe inthe goals of the reform. Hargreaves andFullan advocate going deeper, leadmgteachers into

hard thinking and soul searching aboutthe fundamental value and purpose ofwhat we do as educators. . . . Goingdeeper, in other words, involvespurpose, passion and hope. (p. 29)

invite each teacher to explore what isimportant about his or her work. ParkerPalmer piloted the program in 1994with a group of Michigan teachers, andin 1997 the Fetzer Institute establishedthe Center for Teacher Formation todevelop and expand Courage to Teach.In this model, 20-30 teachers gatherfor a three-day retreat every academicquarter over a one- or two-yeartimespan. In groups and singly, partici-pants explore what is at the heart ofteaching for each of them, usingpersonal stories, reflections on class-room practice, and insights from litera-

We have witnessed how effective professionaldevelopment can he when it puts focus onteachers' inner life and reflection.

Professional Developmentfor Inner ReflectionWeaving a focus on purpose, passion,and hope into professional develop-ment is no small feat, particularly in theface of such constraints as lack of time,slashed budgets, and the pressures ofstandardized tests. The cumulativeeffect of these pressures creates a senseof short-term urgency that often pushesthose responsible for professionaldevelopment toward one-shot trainingsessions in an effort to supportteachers. We have witnessed how muchmore effective professional develop-ment can be when it puts equal focuson teachers' inner life and reflection.The following two models foster thisbalance.

Courage to TeachOne professional development programthat focuses on the "person in theprofession" is Courage to Teach. Thisprogram seeks to renew and deepen aneducators sense of purpose and to

ture and various wisdom traditions.Consider a typical Courage to Teachgroup session:

Twenty-five teachers and administratorssit in a circle, giving their full attention asan elementar)' teacher speaks passion-ately, and poignantly, about her love forher students and her commitment toreach each and every one of them. Shegoes on to tearfully describe the personaltoll this is taking on her own life-creeping guilt at not having enough timeor emotional energy to give to her ownfamily, hone-deep exhaustion, nonstopworrying about the safety of some of herstudents, the weariness of facing analways burgeoning mountain of papersand projects to grade, a sense ofincreasing isolation from friends andcolleagues hecause there is simply nomore to give. The hsteners sit quietly,respectfully, as she finishes, eachreflecting on their own version of herstor}'. . . .

The next person to speak, a newlyappointed principal, describes her recentattempts to mediate an explosive situa-tion hetween a student, his parents, anda teacher. In the midst of helping theparties work through their threats and

misunderstandings, she has becomeaware of the heavy burden of responsi-bility she carries, Yet in the telling of herstory, she also is recognizing a growingconfidence and inner sense of authority,grounded not in her role as a new prin-cipal hut in her personal integrity. Andon around the circle it goes—^achperson relating stories and examples ofhow their complex joumey as teachersand leaders has unfolded since the lasttime they were together a few monthsago. (Jackson & Jackson, 2002)

As this vignette illustrates. Courageto Teach retreats do not focus on peda-gogical methods or content knowledge,but rather on exploring personal andprofessional beliefs and how thesebeliefs affect our teaching. Facilitatorsalso encourage participants to continueto reflect privately and with theircolleagues during the school year. Thtsinner exploration by teachers builds thefoundation they need to engage v̂ dthongoing activities at the other end ofMaslow's hierarchy—pedagogy,content, and policy.

Multi-Level LearningDutch researcher Fred Korthagen(2004) and his colleague AngeloVasalos (Korthagen & Vasalos, 2005)have developed an approach to profes-sional development that uses insightsdrawn from psychotherapy andresearch on human consciousness tosupport intensive reflection on teachingpractice. This approach, which they callMulti-level Learning, invites teachers tothink about specific events in theirteaching and to engage in a processcalled core rejlection. The idea behindcore reflection is that a teacher's corepersonality—including his or her iden-tity and mission—profoundly influ-ences the way that teacher practices.Teachers reflect on their core qualitiesby exploring such questions as. Whydid you become a teacher? and Whatdo you see as your calling in the world?

Multi-level Learning also aims tohelp teachers develop specific coaching

40 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP/MARCH 2006

behaWors that support their colleaguesas well as their students. Becausemastering such behaviors requires prac-tice, Multi-level Learning is not taughtthrough a retreat, but through coursesof about three days each spread outover two to three months. Participatingteachers practice specific interventionsfor learning how inner realities influ-ence their teaching behaviorand apply these guidelines totheir own learning andproblem solving. Betweencourse days, teachers practiceusing what they have learnedwith their students and alsowith their teaching colleagues.The approach is currentlyused to enhance teachingthroughout the Netherlands,and there are plans to offerMulti-level Learning courses inthe United States.

Improving TeachingPrograms like Courage toTeach and Multi-level Learningreconfigure the cycle that nowdominates the landscape ofprofessional development ineducation, ensuring thatprofessional developmentbegins by addressing thoseissues at the pinnacle of ateacher's professional life. Onceteachers' purposes are clarified, theiremotional resources rejuvenated, andtheir spirits nurtured, they will moreeffectively engage with their students,their colleagues, and their methods.

Poutiatine (2005) reviewed theempirical research studies that havebeen conducted on teacher renewalprograms and concluded that participa-tion in such programs results in signifi-cant personal and professional growth.Teachers who took part in experienceslike Courage to Teach or Multi-levelLearning

• Articulated a renewed sense ofpassion for their work.

• Focused more on creatinghospitable learning environments forstudents.

• Devoted more attention to framinggood questions and listening tostudents.

• Clarified and renewed core beliefsabout students and teaching.

• Committed to taking on leadership

inner directives about teaching. Withgreater awareness of how those innerdirectives play out in their professionalpractice, teachers can make morediscerning judgments on what's worthflghting for, letting go, or attending toin their daily teaching practice and intheir long-term professional lives. Asone Courage to Teach participant said.

Teachers who took part in teacher renewalprograms devoted more attention to framinggood questions and listening to students.

roles at their school sites.• Deepened their appreciation for

collegial relationships.The process of telling about and

reflecting on one's teaching life notonly invites attitudinal change but alsocan stimulate changes in teachingbehavior and classroom procedures.Professional development with thisfocus brings to the fore individuals'

After I turned inwarci and asked myselfwhat was really important in myteaching, 1 began altering the basic struc-ture of my classroom. First I foundmyself asking more questions and reallylistening to what my students said. Then1 started to alter the physical arrange-ment of the classroom, so that studentswere facing each other and engaging inmore reflective exercises about the litera-ture they read.

A S S O C I A T I O N FOR S U P E R V I S I O N AND C U R R I C U L U M D E V E L O P M E N T 41

Working From the Inside OutIn a climate of standardized tests,prescribed curricular strategies, andhigh-stakes accountability, it is under-standable that many administrators andpolicymakers might construe a focus onteachers' inner lives as a luxury, or atleast as secondary to such issues aspedagogical technique and curriculumdevelopment.

But if we are right about needing toinvert Masiow's pyramid, then profes-sional guidance focused on rekindlingteachers' sense of purpose is no luxury.Rather, it is the foundation that enablesteachers to engage in deliberation onstudent learning and effective schools.Without laying the groundwork thatcreates purposeful, resilient teachers,any benefits of training centeredaround new procedures, techniques,and strategies will eventually fade.Overloaded teachers who work in isola-

tion will not retain what it takes to dotheir most inspired teaching.

As one veteran kindergarten teachersaid, comparing programs that focus onthe inner life wdth more conventionalforms of professional development,

This approach did not offer a prepack-aged right answer, technique, or style.There was not "something" that onecould bring back to the classroom forMonday morning In a tangible way. Yet!would bring more of myself to the class-room each time. . . . Therefore, I was abetter teacher. (Intrator &r Scribner,1998, p. 33)

As it turns out, Maslow had it right.It is human nature to feel compelled toattend to our concrete, immediateneeds before we aim higher. Efficient,programmatic professional develop-ment that focuses on content or class-room survival skills may appeal toschools because such programs seem to

VIWW. FIT 4 LeAFMIN6iMake Learning Come Alive

Action-Packed ClassroomsBooth #1238 - Session: Sunday 12:30-2:30

m o t i o n . m u s i c . i n v o l v e m e n t

represent the education equivalent offood and safety But such programsalone don't ultimately answer teachers'deepest needs. If we want schools tosustain and develop effective teachersfor the long term, and to foster bothteacher growth and student learning,then we must recognize that the way totruly increase teachers' capacities andskills is to engage their souls. S!

ReferencesColiins,J. C.,& Porras, J.I. (1994). BuilUo

last: Successful habits 0/visionarycompanies. New York: Harper Business,

Farkas, S., Johnson, J., & Duffett, A.(2003). Stand by me: What teachers sayabout unions, merit pay and other profes-sional matters. New York: Public Agenda.

Hargreaves, A-, & Fullan, M. (1998), What'sworth fighting Jor out there? New York;Teachers College Press.

Intrator, S- M., & Scnbner, M. (1998). Anevaluation of the Courage to Teachprogram. Kalamazoo, Ml: Fetzer Institute.

Jackson, M., iSrjackson, R. (2002), Courageto Teach: A retreat program of personaland professional renewal for educators.In S. M. intrator (Ed.), Stories of theCourage to Teach: Honoring the teacher'sheart (pp. 282-307). San Francisco:Jossey-Bass.

Konhagen, F. (2004). In search of theessence of a good teacher. Teaching andTeacher Education, 20(1), 77-97.

Kortbagen, F,, & Vasalos, A. (2005). Levelsin reflection: Core reflection as a meansto enhance professional growth. TeachersandTeaching: Theory and Practice, J J (1 ) ,47-71.

Maslow, A. (1943). A theory of human moti-vation. Psycholo^cal Review, 50, 370-396.

Poutiatine, M. (2005)- Finding commonthreads: Summary of the research onteacher (oimation and the Courage toTeach. Bainbridge Island, WA: Center forCourage and Renewal.

Senge, P. M. (2000). Schools that leam. NewYork: Doubleday.

Sam M. Intrator is Assistant Professorof Education and Child Study in theProgram in Urban Studies, SmithCollege, Northampton, Massachusetts;413-585-3242; sintrato@emaii.smith.edu. Robert Kunzman is Professor ofCurriculum and Instruction at IndianaUniversity, Bloomington, Indiana; 812-856-8100; rkunzman@incliana,edu.

42 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP/MARCH 2006