YOUR STORY MATTERS Professional Training for Teachers

YOUR STORY MATTERS offers the teaching community a unique opportunity and a fundamental principle for professional growth – to collectively and critically reflect on their teaching practice.

The training merges critical pedagogy and experiential learning. It will greatly contribute to the quality of teachers’ professional growth as it addresses the realistic challenges and relationships faced in schools and aims to equip teachers with the tools to actively promote positive change.  

Using theatre-based methodology, the training advances teaching careers in three components:

•  allows educators to have a dialogue about themes vital to them,
• presents an opportunity to explore choices and consequences by role-playing and creating images and scenes, and
• allows teachers to rehearse best practices for real life.

In professional conduct, teachers experience high stake situations. After an unsuccessful encounter with a student or an unproductive exchange with a colleague, they regret: “If only I...” However, they cannot take it back. Yet, in a safe training environment, we have the opportunity to pause to reflect, and rewind to practice new approaches. We learn by doing, not by being told. Information is useless without the power to act upon it.

Experiential Training is unique, as it:

•  is story-based and works in the context of participants’ own stories, experiences, and     observations
• is holistic – the training engages both brain hemispheres, varied learning styles, and emotional intelligence
• gives participants a rare opportunity to share their challenges and conflicts as a springboard for uncovering the possible solutions and opportunities for change
• encourages participants to actively rehearse how to implement best practices for positive change in classroom and school community using theatre-based exercises, images, and scenes; a UNESCO recognized tool for social change
• utilizes role-playing - to gain insight from multiple perspectives
• provides for the integration of insights into teaching practice

YOUR STORY MATTERS offers the following workshops:

•  Aligning Teaching Philosophy with Teaching Practice
• Diversity and Anti-Oppression Training
• Creative Collaboration

The training is conducted in fun, relaxed, and caring environment.