What would it make possible if everyone, everywhere, understood what really creates positive change in communities and in our world? And what would it make possible if everyone was putting that into practice in everything we all do?
The answer is simple: We would be at least a little closer (and hopefully visibly closer) to the humane, healthy, peaceful world that is possible, simply because it is not impossible.
That is the mission Creating the Future is intent on accomplishing. For us, the big question is not about how change happens.
With over a decade of research and experimenting behind us, we have a pretty good head start on answering that question. The big question for us is how to teach what we’ve learned, and how to determine who is qualified to do that teaching? What will instructors need to understand, to be able to teach beyond just sharing information – to teach by modeling the future (and the present) we want to see in the world?
That is what our Faculty Development Team is going to be discussing this week, and we hope you’ll join us. (The meeting will take place Thursday, April 4 at 4pm ET(NA) / 1pm PT(NA) right here at this blog post, via live-streaming video AND with your participation via Twitter, using the hashtag #CTFuture)
This is the second meeting of this team. During our first meeting, we defined “success” for our education programs (the reason for having faculty in the first place!). That meeting is summarized here. From that meeting's definition of success, it became clear that…
- Instructors must be able to tell relevant stories
- Instructors must have language to talk about a collective sense of self
- Instructors must be able to link "small self" to "big self", to help others see themselves as part of something bigger
- Instructors must be able to demonstrate what community looks and feels like
- Instructors must be able to demonstrate care and love for ourselves and one another
- Instructors must be able link the "being stuff" to the practical
- Instructors must be able to accomplish the predetermined educational outcomes for each class. (Note May 11: This item was added during the meeting iteself).
And so this Thursday, we will be asking…
For our education programs to achieve our definitions of success, what qualities / proficiencies must instructors have?
What conducive conditions would ensure they have those qualities / proficiencies?
What conducive conditions would support instructors in maintaining their ability to teach on behalf of Creating the Future (infrastructure the org must have vs qualities the instructor must have)?"
Whether you want to be part of our faculty, or learn from this process, or share what you know with us as we move along – or all the above – we hope you will join us this Thursday. It promises to be a highly inspirational and practical session (because contrary to popular wisdom, inspiration and practical absolutely go hand-in-hand.)