Staff supporting staff
Emerging from more than two years of pandemic chaos and stress, it was clear that the mental and spiritual health of our staff community needed deliberate focus. Thus, a small group of us designed our June in-service time around the central idea of connecting with each other.
Gathering at the Justin Morrill Center on Tuesday, June 21, we started off the three days of work together by sitting in a circle and sharing one significant challenge we each faced this year. We spoke of our worries, concerns, and disappointments. Hearing each other’s vulnerabilities created space for empathy and understanding, and set the stage for deep and connected conversations in the days to come. We closed our time together by again sitting in a circle and reflecting on one success or “ray of light” from the year that we want to hold in our memories for years to come. Hearing each other’s satisfaction, joy, and pride reminded us of why we come back to this work every year and left us with a renewed sense of commitment and hope. While we may not have covered all of the topics we have in previous years, taking the time to be relational, versus simply transactional was far more productive.
Looking forward
A group of staff has been meeting over the summer to think strategically about continuing the work of nurturing a strong and connected adult community. We will be thinking strategically about professional development time for the 22/23 school year, and how we build on the momentum from our conversations in June. The plan is to begin our August in-service days at Silver Lake in Barnard, reconnecting after our summer recess and focusing our energy on the year ahead.
We are excited to build on the work of Ron Berger and EL Education both in our collaborative efforts as a staff and also in our work with students. Rob Stainton, Christa Wurm, and Clare Smith are spearheading this work using Berger’s book “We Are Crew” as a framework for strengthening our entire community.