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Weaving Hope Through Our Education System

by Derrique DeGagné (Volume editor)
©2024 Edited Collection XXX, 312 Pages
Series: Counterpoints, Volume 544

Summary

Educators are constantly being asked to do more with less. During these complex times, it can be difficult to find hope, yet, as John Gardner (1990) said, "the first and last task of a leader is to keep hope alive." Weaving Hope Through Our Education System is an invitation to emerging, novice, and experienced educators to reflect, a reminder to connect, and a call to action. In its pages, a diverse group of artists, educators, and leaders examine hope’s relationship with courage, connection, compassion, curiosity, and creativity. Through poetry, narrative, articles, interviews, and plays, authors respond to the prompt: How do you foster hope in our education landscape?

Table Of Contents

  • Cover
  • Title
  • Copyright
  • About the author
  • About the book
  • This eBook can be cited
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents
  • List of Figures
  • These Leaders by Derrique DeGagné
  • Introduction: Weaving a Tapestry of Hope: A Professional and Academic Journey by Joanne Wynn
  • Threads of COURAGE
  • Where Audacious Angels Fear to Tread on a 13 Step Commute by Katharine Weinmann
  • Why? by Emily Ratcliffe
  • To Whom It May Concern by Dr. Farha Shariff
  • Do You See Me? by Clair Sprake
  • The Story of My Name by Betty Fu
  • Experiences with Courage and Hope by Gail Wozny
  • Mother.Black.Teacher.Survivor by Janice Pinnock
  • Resilient Resistance by Dr. Elizabeth Shen
  • The Journey from Imposter to Infiltrator: Deconstructing the System from the Inside by Mari Chartier with Dr. Farha Shariff
  • Tie Your Camel by Youssra Badr
  • For the Future Generations by Sheila Williams
  • 1-3-S-T-E-P-C-O-M-M-U-T-E by Derrique DeGagné
  • Finding Courage in Hope by Hon. Sarah Hoffman and Dr. Shelagh Dunn
  • Threads of CONNECTION
  • Your Words, My Words, Our Words by Katharine Weinmann
  • The Art of Entanglement by Angela Saxby
  • An Ode to the New Teacher by Lila Berg
  • Let Loss Live by Theresa Purificati
  • I Am From by Jamie Reilly
  • Looking Back to Move Forward by Jamie Reilly
  • How do I learn? by Melissa Purcell
  • I am the Revolution by Gail-Ann Wilson
  • Here by Rin Lawrence
  • Threads of COMPASSION
  • I Am Enough to Be Enough by Katharine Weinmann
  • The Breathing HeArt as Antidote to Collective Emotional Dysregulation by Sandra M. Nicholls & Nelle M. Meers
  • The Daily Ease: Taking a Moment for Mental Rest by Nora Hajar
  • Reflections of Reformed Hopeless Losers: A Play in One Act by Laura Dahl
  • To My Educators by Laura Dahl
  • The “I” in Community by Ashley Vu
  • Hamila, The Clown by Maralyn, Kate, and Emma Ryan
  • Threads of CURIOSITY
  • I Wonder About by Katharine Weinmann
  • I’m Stubborn About Belonging by Stacy Fysh
  • Silent Conversations: An Exploration of Who We are Today in the Classroom as Teachers and Students by Melanie Bye
  • Our Gifts: Cognitive Differences Make Us Exceptional by April MacDonald Killins
  • Threads of CREATIVITY
  • Unmask My Manifesto by Katharine Weinmann
  • Pieces of Peace by Angela Saxby
  • Music Teacher Musings, Part 1 by Lindsey Walker
  • Designing for Empowerment: A Literacy Manifesto by Erin Quinn & Tara Vandertoorn
  • Music Teacher Musings, Part 2 by Lindsey Walker
  • Behind the Smile by Jennifer Peebles
  • Music Teacher Musings, Part 3 by Lindsey Walker
  • And … goosebumps by Derrique DeGagné
  • Knotting the Threads
  • When Fool’s the Hope by Katharine Weinmann
  • Conclusion: Hope and the Fool by Jan Henderson
  • Recommendations
  • Index

These Leaders

by derrique degagné

Welcome.

Come in.

I want you to meet someone.

These leaders have

exchanged knowing glances across staff rooms and Google meets

folded my laundry while I healed and nursed my first child

waited out snow storms in Red Deer hotel rooms, laughing until we cried

revealed the scribbled notes on their pages, mirroring the ones I tried to hide

shared their nanna’s crib tips

given speeches that stirred my soul

held me while I wept

pushed me past imagined limits

laid their hearts in my hands

broken open my heart

inspired me to learn with curiosity

inspired me to teach with authenticity

inspired me to lead with heart

reminded me of the value of play, even and especially for adults

gifted me with the understanding that comes with shared experiences

reminded me of my privilege

led by sharing a seat at the table and asking who is yet to be invited

included me when I didn’t feel worthy

held me capable of sharing my opinions and abilities

waited patiently while I learned something the hard way

taught me that the way others treat me is about them, not me

assured me that my tears were a sign of my caring and not my weakness

showed me how to grow and change, proudly marking each scar as a map of my journey

taught me grace by extending it to me

These leaders

are courage, connection, compassion, curiosity, and creativity.

These leaders are hope.

Introduction: Weaving a Tapestry of Hope: A Professional and Academic Journey

by joanne wynn

“Hope is passion for the possible”

~ Kierkegaard ~

Our lives are filled with serendipitous and often surprising “ah ha!” moments that create turning points for our understanding, and jumping off places for new adventures. One such event happened on a beautiful Fall lunch hour in the company of a dear friend as we crunched through leaves on a much needed walk break. Sharing our dreams, she asked what I would write about if I pursued a doctoral program. As we passed the street of the 100 year old brick building in the inner city where I experienced my first role as principal, in a moment of clarity, I answered “Hope.” It was that inspired moment I first understood how significantly my leadership practice was founded in creating cultures and moments of hope. I knew I had to find out more.

An Introduction to Hope Research

“Literature reviews have identified twenty-six theories of hope and fifty-four definitions, while pinning down the characteristics of hope has been compared to catching the spring breeze”

(Webb, 2013, p. 398).

This metaphor of “catching the spring breeze” captures the essence of my journey to learn more about hope. The more I read, the more I realize how much we still need to understand, both in scholarship and as educational leaders. The following is a summary of some of the research that most resonated with me in my leadership practice. It will provide an introductory context for our stories of hope in schools throughout this anthology, and maybe inspire you to think in a new way about your role as an educational leader.

In a brief history of the scholarship, the topic of hope was largely the realm of theologians and philosophers until the 1950s when it began to be studied empirically in the healthcare profession. Since then, research particularly in nursing and psychology have demonstrated the necessity of hope to the human condition; to cope, provide comfort, and to navigate times of challenge, change and complexity (see Eliot, 2005; Pleeging et al., 2021).

Proving the power of hope has been easier than defining it. Hope has been described as a trait, state, virtue, resource, network, emotion, cognitive strategy, and multidimensional process (see Synder, 1995; Scioli & Biller, 2011; Dufault & Martocchio, 1985). While investigation to define and characterise hope continues, scholars share some enduring understandings about the experience of hope. In their review of the literature, Larsen et al. (2007), identify the most common characteristics of hope as a multidimensional and dynamic process, essential to life, future oriented, personally significant and goal oriented. Hope arises from our relationships with each other, our environment, memories, and spiritual connections that activate our hearts and souls, as well as our minds to affect our behaviour and outlook. Hope comes when we are struggling, and frees us to reconnect with possibility. Larsen et al. suggest the most succinct definition of hope is proposed by Stephenson (1991), as “a process of anticipation that involves the interaction of thinking, acting, feeling, and relating, and is directed toward a future fulfillment that is personally meaningful” (p. 1459).

Details

Pages
XXX, 312
Publication Year
2024
ISBN (PDF)
9781636673165
ISBN (ePUB)
9781636673172
ISBN (Softcover)
9781636673769
ISBN (Hardcover)
9781636673776
DOI
10.3726/b21011
Language
English
Publication date
2023 (December)
Keywords
hope courage connection compassion curiosity creativity community leadership identity equity diversity inclusion Weaving Hope through our Education System Derrique DeGagné
Published
New York, Berlin, Bruxelles, Chennai, Lausanne, Oxford, 2024. XXX, 312 pp., 19 col ill., 1 b/w table.

Biographical notes

Derrique DeGagné (Volume editor)

Derrique DeGagné (she/her) is a cis-gender, White, second generation settler with ancestors from England, Ukraine, and Poland. Holding an MEd (University of Calgary), a BEd (University of Alberta), and a Dip Theatre (Grant MacEwan University), Derrique is a life-long learner, educator, and artist. She serves as a Curriculum Consultant with Edmonton Public Schools after having worked as an Arts Curriculum Consultant with Alberta Education. Prior to that, Derrique was a theatre and humanities educator at Victoria School of the Arts. Additionally, she ran the KidsFringe at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival and InkPulse, a summer writing camp, for the Writer’s Guild of Alberta. As well as serving on the Citadel Theatre’s Board of Directors, Derrique is a committee member for the Greater Edmonton Teachers’ Convention and a former Theatre Alberta board member. Derrique’s proudest role, however, is parenting her creative and caring children alongside her amazing partner.

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