In the midst of this rather hectic end to the term it is a real joy to take a few moments out to let you know that our plans for a summer school type event have come together. This is the blurb for the event:

Coming to our senses: embedding contemplative pedagogy in higher education

This four-day event at Emerson College will bring together educators working in higher education to explore, experience and study contemplative pedagogy. It will be a valuable opportunity to connect with like-minded people, learn from what others are doing in their classrooms and reflect on our own contemplative practice and how this impacts our teaching and conduct.

For me personally this event seems to have emerged out of the efforts and enthusiasms of many different people over the last few years. The fact that we are even attempting such an ambitious event, for such a long period of time (taking four days out of work to attend a training event is a big ask), reflects the belief amongst the organising team (myself, Iddo Oberski, Siobhan Lynch and Steven Stanley) that there is growing interest in contemplative pedagogy. In particular that people are keen to learn relevant skills, explore their understanding of this approach and think about how they can embed it within their work with students and each other.

The event will embody what it is hopes to teach. We will be creating community, taking space, being quiet, exploring our internal experience as well as considering how our ideas and desires connect with the external world and asking how we move these ideas forward and enable ourselves, our teaching, our students and our institutions to be transformed by the deep learning that emerges from contemplation.

There is no quick way to do this. No short cuts to understanding. What I hope is that over those four days we start to feel less alone in our struggles, that we find the confidence together to wade around in the mud of not-knowing, share the embarrassment of our mistakes and the deep vulnerability that comes with risking being wrong and revealing ourselves in the pursuit of knowing something more deeply.

We will be doing this in good company, in a wonderful setting, in which we can get close to nature, eat nurturing and lovingly prepared food, laugh and have fun and learn from the unique offerings that we will all bring.

Please come, you are most welcome 🙂

Caroline