The Power of Words: 12th Annual Habla Virtual Teacher Institute
July 27th through 31st
The12th Annual Teacher Institute was conducted virtually, bringing together educators from around the world. Habla Teacher Institutes have always engaged with the power of words in building an on-going lively international community dedicated to an ever-evolving exploration of meaningful teaching and learning in and through the arts. But this commitment has become even more essential in the face of a worldwide “new normal” that requires us to more urgently confront long standing issues of global health, educational opportunity, and social justice. We must become, like our students, explorers of unfamiliar landscapes - as we experiment together with new technologies, new community building strategies, and new approaches to documenting and reflecting upon our work even while separated in space and time in unfamiliar ways. This requires us to draw upon deepened reserves of patience, self-forgiveness, and persistence as we enter into new adventures in fulfilling our lifelong missions, and to remaining open to the exciting new opportunities that our current missteps and discoveries open up for ourselves, our students, our communities, and each other.