Our return to school is on our minds. Creating beautiful spaces is our work together. Together, we create beautiful spaces. Learn Forward calls it the Table of Learning. There is a place for each parent, teacher, and child. There are places for community members, leaders, and specialists. There is a place for anyone who wants to learn.
Over the next few months, I will be taking a deeper dive into what the Table of Learning means. How will this metaphor help us re-imagine our relationships in our schools? How can we intentionally ensure we are practicing building cultures of community?
We moved into 
our new home this week! HURRAY! We’ve finally landed. And, of course, one of the first and most intentional tasks was setting up my bookcase. I placed my own kind of ‘beauty’ on each shelf with tender-loving care. Books from my childhood. Books from the big kids’ childhood. Books for G, the littlest one. Okello’s drum. And my favourite African, clay pitcher, that always reminds me to be ‘poured out.’ The bookends gathered these pieces into a space. I loved the way they are held together. So many disparate pieces. Creating beauty.
Recently, I realized I have important bookends in Learn Forward. I start and end with the same theme: sacred spaces of togetherness.
The first chapter of my book Learn Forward is called “Holding Sacred Space.” At the beginning I start with a poignant story of a mother, a few educators, and an IEP meeting. By the end of the first few pages, we are doing ‘our truest work’ of ‘holding a sacred space.’
The final sentences of the book close with “We need each other to Learn Forward.” I invite teachers and parents to build routines, with a consciousness of the rich goodness of the five journeys, together. Working on our daily practices with a solid foundation as learners: parents, teachers, and students! An invitation to courageously create thriving in community!
The holiness is ‘together.’ We are working out our learning, our education, our meaning-making together.
My school walls are like bookends, holding beautiful things together.
We aren’t alone. This isn’t any one person’s responsibility. Blame doesn’t enter into the picture because we are all responsible and we can all choose to be supportive.
As Dr. Nathan Lang recently tweeted in the LeadUpNow chat on “Engaging Parents in Schools,”
Over the next few months, in the Learn Forward blog, I will be exploring how we can build cultures of community. I hope to include a variety of interesting perspectives and possibly another webinar or two. I’d love your feedback about what might be helpful!
Our practice at the Table of Learning is local; our conversation, global.
How are you going to be part of creating a beautiful space together with your learning community tomorrow?
For the sake of the children,
Karine
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