A New Model of Leading and Learning:

Leadership Through Relationship

Learn how to coach yourself and your team through the maze of teaching, learning, intervention and accountability….and REJUVENATE YOURSELF in the process!!!!

“Are you doing what you love?
Are you loving what you do?
Are you living who you are?
Are you loving being YOU? ”
—Martha Belknap, Educator


A Professional Development Experience like no other, created for you by:

Equine Alchemy Southwest & Alchemy Coaching SW
MetaSystem Consulting Group & Equine Alchemy Coach Training Institute

Combine the power and credibility of:

International Coach Federation Core Competencies and Ethics

The Epona Approach™ to Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning.

Five Core Propositions of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

MetaSystemCG Multi-level Systemic Coaching Model™

The Equine Alchemy SW – Equine Alchemy Personal Leadership Paradigm™

We invite you to step into a paradigm shift

of the highest magnitude….


Welcome to the Teacher Leadership Academy!


Thomas Newkirk in a Education Week (Oct 21 2009) commentary, Stress, Control, and the Deprofessionalizing of Teaching, discusses studies which illustrate that workers experience more stress when they have less control over their work. Workers with a sense of their own agency and control find the prerogative to act made their jobs less stressful.(page24)

Newark states, “When teachers lose control of decision making- when they prepare students for test they have no role in designing (and often no belief in), when they must abandon units they love because there is no longer time, when they must follow the plans designed by others, when they are locked into systems of instruction and evaluation they don’t create or even choose-they will not be relieved of stress. Their jobs are not made easier, they are made harder and more stressful. While some find a way to resist, others acquiesce, though they feel, as one teacher put it, that “the joy is being drained out of teaching.”(page 25)

The mission of the Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) experiential curriculum is to approaches the field of adult professional growth with a variety of practical questions. For example,

  • How can we prevent teacher burn-out; expending too much energy for short term gain? Is there a way we can honor the emotional needs of the classroom teacher as he/she steps into teacher leadership roles?
  • How can “professional development” really be about development and not just “drive-by” training; about personal healing and transformation, as well as acquiring information?
  • How can conflict be a resource for personal growth and leadership development? What provisions should be made by professionals for their own growth as they develop their concepts of leadership?
  • In what ways can teacher leaders begin to sufficiently nourish their ability to support themselves and others….and sustain that support?
  • How can we create leadership teams that not only handle a ceaseless flow of challenges….but also provides a climate for each member’s ongoing growth and change?

 

Are you… willing to work with horse wisdom as a powerful resource to resolve these challenges for yourself and your team?

If this sounds like you, you have come to the right place!

 

 

 

 

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) is designed for:

  • Entire Instructional Teams seeking to create a context of support for teacher leadership…together!
  • Pre-K-12 Teachers who are interested in learning how to nourish their ability to support themselves while taking responsibility for intentional leadership related to their students, parents, learning team, leadership team and the greater community.
  • Lead Teachers who are stepping into (non-administrative) leadership positions.
  • Mentor Teachers
  • District or School-site Resource Teachers, Coordinators, Facilitators
  • Instructional Coaches
  • Staff Developers
  • Leaders, seekers, individuals who are lifelong learners seeking professional and personal learning, networking and support.
  • Pre-service teachers
  • University students considering the field of Education
  • Those with and without equine facilitation training or skill.
  • Non-riders and riders; People with and without horses.

The program is based upon:

What is the Purpose? Why Invest in The Teacher Leadership Academy?

Across the country, many school districts have incorporated instructional coaches or onsite professional developers to lead school reform efforts. In view of the current economy, specialized positions are being discontinued and teachers are being asked to step into teacher leadership roles. Consequently, hundreds of educational professionals are finding themselves in high-stakes, critically important roles in their schools, with little or no professional development to prepare them for successfully performing their tasks.

The lack of professional learning for teacher leaders places teachers and students at risk. Our mission is to provide classroom teachers, those who are working under tremendous stress “in the trenches”, a way to honor themselves as they implement learning and skills designed to produce extraordinary results in leadership performance.

 

The Teacher Leadership Academy uniquely addresses what has consistently been missing from professional development….appreciating the teacher. We believe that if teachers can re-ignite their personal value, a measureable shift can occur in classrooms and schools!

 

 

 

The Teacher Leadership Academy is Unique because…

We Honor and Respect Teachers: Our vision is to acknowledge and appreciate teachers for the experts they are, supporting them in their respective teaching contexts. We have integrated into the didactic work of this training, a paradigm shift of the highest magnitude…appreciation for the teacher. In “How Full is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life”,Tom Rath and Donald Clifton said that the main reason most North Americans leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. They also noted that 65% of Americans say they receive no recognition at work. Research at the Institute of Heartmath reports:

“Appreciation is a powerful emotion that has scientifically validated benefits. This one emotion has been shown to positively impact our entire system—from our attitudes and immune systems to our heart and mental clarity. Appreciation means to be thankful, or express feelings of admiration, approval and gratitude.  It also means something has increased in value.  By consciously applying appreciation, the value of your life and your relationships increase.  The bottom line is that we take better care of the things we appreciate.”

The more we focus on appreciation for teachers, the more we’ll value and care for them.

Our Cohort Size: To ensure that each participant in the Teacher Leadership Academy receives individualized, practical, “hands-on” professional learning, our cohort size is limited to only 15 participants.  It is our intention to encourage meaningful dialogue, reflection, and action planning that participants can use right away in their professional practice in order to create programs that really do improve the quality of students’ lives, and in their personal lives to manage more effectively the stressors of teaching in the age of accountability and school reform.

Our Instructors are experienced, highly qualified educators with many years of successful school and district level leadership. All Core Instructors are National Board Certified Teachers and Advanced Epona Instructors.

Our Coaches are Certified Coaches, and include the founding partner of NY-based MetaSystem Consulting Group, who has spent the last 17 years working globally to help clients achieve breakthrough results through her coaching methodology, Multi-level Systemic Coaching™, and a nationally recognized author and designer of strategies for educational coaching.

Our Curriculum is written by teachers, for teachers, and is centered on providing a system-wide solution for teacher leadership development and building expanded capacity. We teach teachers to lead themselves first….to embody leadership qualities.

Our Certification Option: Our curriculum also provides participants the opportunity to certify as a Professional Coach through the International Coach Federation.

Our Methodology: The Teacher Leadership Academy integrates experiential learning, constructivist learning approaches, differentiated instruction and assessment, cognitive and affective experiences, real world simulations and virtual learning into each instructional module. The triune brain theory, a common theory about the cognitive and emotional processing for the layman, gives us the language to talk about the mind/body connection without making it seem like alternative therapy.

Daniel Goleman’s work on Emotional Intelligence and its acceptance in the corporate world, enables us to bring in work on the “messages behind emotions” in a way that teacher leaders can entertain. Through powerful digital storytelling, participants translate their experiential learning into a new methodology for revealing patterns and surfacing valuable information that might otherwise go unnoticed…..all critical components of leadership.

Our Partners: Partnering with horses is a powerful milestone in the evolution of coaching and developing Personal Leadership Skills.  Horses are masterful and consummate teachers that enable learners to embody their learning in a way that is energy giving, nourishing, and sustainable. One cannot understand Leadership Development with Horses without engaging in its basic concepts.  Therefore, from its onset, we will create a mind/body connection.  Through Equine Facilitated Experientials, participants will:

  • Actively engage in the research from the Institute of Heartmath regarding the heart’s electro-magnetic field (5000 times greater than our brains!); which is our body’s own boundary response to spatial proximity.  Where does our energetic and physical influence or impact begin? Where do others begin?  How do our unconscious ‘boundaries’ impact our relationships?  Our coaching relationships?  Our leadership relationships?
  • Explore emotional and social intelligence through ‘The Messages Behind Emotions’.  Emotions or feelings are indicators of information; awareness of this in the coaching context gives teacher leaders another powerful tool for decision-making.
  • Develop awareness of using the body as an intelligent sensory device and create a mind/body connection. The body needs space in order for the mind to be present!
  • Practice the art of energetic and emotional agility—the ability to recognize and manage emotional, physical and mental awareness, effective direct communication and trust; all critical leadership, teaching and coaching skills.

The Benefits of attending the Teacher Leadership Academy…

Teacher Leadership works! In their 1995 research, Joyce and Showers found an overwhelmingly significant increase in implementation of new practices when coaching was part of the learning process. They identified coaching as the “best practice” for producing deep change in knowledge and practice. Peer coaching is a natural extension of a professional learning community. It moves the PLC into the classroom, increasing the public element in teaching.

Teachers need to study student learning and student work, so major teacher behaviors are thinking, observing, creating, and experimenting. Teacher leaders will learn new awareness and peer coaching tools. Participants practice the art of energetic agility—the ability to recognize and manage emotional, physical and mental awareness for deeper engagement, and develop a deeper understanding of the potential impact of emotional intelligence upon the peer coaching relationship. Furthermore, teacher leaders learn specific ways to use these concepts in the classroom and among their peers—without the horses.

Experience for yourself the power of this transformational learning experience!

Core Curriculum

Strand A: Multi-level Systemic Approach to Teaching and Learning

In the Multi-Level Systemic Approach, support is not limited to top administrators or directors; team leaders, teachers, teams, and students all benefit. By working with individuals and their teams, teacher leaders provide the opportunity to explore the impact and results of behaviors and actions throughout the system. This collaboratively achieved perspective and vision is a key to creating fundamental change at all levels of a team or organization, as well as alignment and synergy between the various levels, individuals, and units. A school can develop a comprehensive teaching and learning culture that favors innovation, initiative, responsibility and accountability; one that interfaces with initiatives that are currently in place.

Strand B: Personal Leadership Skill Development – First Be A Leader to Yourself; Understanding and Transforming Ourselves

The concept and idea for this strand comes out of our desire to support healing and personal growth for teachers. Strand B focuses on what we call a consensual learning model; one where everyone is co-responsible for learning and contributing. Personal Leadership Skill development takes participants through all of the processes we employ to build authenticity in community, develop and enhance awareness skills, and introduces the underlying Epona psychological principles as they apply to working within a consensual partnership. Participants will learn partnership skills, group process, family dynamics, conflict resolution, and collaborative leadership through interaction with their partners, with the horses and among their small group. They will also learn effective peer coaching techniques to negotiate crucial conversations about teaching and learning.  In this curricular strand, participants will develop their abilities as thoughtful and entrepreneurial leaders, as well as their understanding of why a culture of shared leadership is so vital to student learning.

Strand C:    Toolbox – Peer Coaching through the Response to Intervention Process: What Should Teachers and Students Know and Be Able to Do at Tier I?

We’re in a different teaching climate today.  We have research that tells us much more about how individuals learn and the most effective instructional delivery processes to use to ensure that students “get it”.  We haven’t always had all of this information and it is necessary to honor that we can improve without feeling like we’ve failed in the past.   No longer can professional learning be considered simply instruction in models of delivery.  Instead, entire school staffs must build on their capacity to develop a “collective ability”…dispositions, skills, knowledge, motivation and resources…to act together to bring about desired results, simultaneously supporting their individual needs as teachers.

What is meant by Response to Intervention (RtI)?

RtI is a process that provides immediate intervention to struggling students at the first indication of failure to learn. Through systematic screening of all students, classroom teachers identify those who are not mastering critical skills and provide differentiated intervention to small groups of students. Student’s responses to these interventions allow teachers to adjust and further differentiate instruction accordingly. In addition, it allows teachers to identify students in need of more comprehensive, targeted intervention(s).

 

What is the Three-Tier model?

The Three-Tier instructional model is used to meet the needs of all students, including those who are slow starters in kindergarten and those who continue to struggle in upper grades.

The Three-Tier model is a prevention model intended to identify students before they fail and to provide the supports students need to learn essential academic and behavioral skills. Research demonstrates that waiting for students to “catch on” or “catch up” does not lead to higher student achievement. Students need explicit, targeted instruction and intervention to succeed.

Strand C is all about filling the teacher leader’s toolbox so that the principles learned at The Teacher Leadership Academy can be put into action immediately.  Participants take away structures and resources to:

-understand how Response to Intervention at Tier I is simply…the continuous improvement of instructional practice

-themes and predictable stages common to the change process

-acknowledge individual reactions to change at specific points in their career

-apply strategies for dealing with conflict effectively

-collaborate in problem-solving and decision-making

-align teacher leadership with collective learning

-assist peers in maintaining balance to avoid overload

-protect teacher leaders’ relationships with peers

-become an instructional

Strand D: Equine Experiential Facilitated Learning as a Strategy for Authentic Leading

why horses…

The experience of working with horses requires a relationship with another being. It requires an acute awareness of boundaries–yours and theirs–as well as skill in interpreting body language. Interacting with horses requires obtaining permission to lead and demonstrating a willingness to follow. Such a relationship demands courage as well as vulnerability. Most importantly, the horse requires authentic communication. Twenty minutes in the round pen with a horse will take these powerful, insightful concepts off the page, out of your head, and anchor them into your entire being.

Teacher leadership is a means to move teaching toward higher levels of professionalism.  Leading and learning are closely aligned, so as teachers take on leadership roles, they learn and they lead.  This is why is it important to consider how all teachers can assume leadership roles.  The adage of “we learn what we teach” holds true as a strategy of Authentic Leading.

Strand D creates a context in which teacher leaders can actively participate in experientials with courage and vulnerability to develop acute awareness of boundaries, skills in interpreting body language, obtaining permission to lead, demonstrating a willingness to follow, and becoming more skillful in direct, authentic communication.

Module I: Apprentice Level

Module II: Novice Level

Module III: Intern Level

Module IV: Advanced Level

There are many benefits to this program, not the least of which is a focused MASTERMIND support designed so you create strong, vibrant impactful relationships with your cohort colleagues and are both challenged and supported to grow into the type of valuable teacher leader you envision yourself. These relationships are KEY to moving out of limiting beliefs or fears and into an expansion of your ideas and structure for the truly, truly great things you are capable of achieving in your life and work.

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) Application Form

The cohort group is about creating relationships; with yourself, the horses, and transfering new skills into your professional and personal life. Only then can you begin to connect all of these relationships together to create an unparalleled dynamic! This work is truly cutting edge. It is the ONLY teacher leadership/coach training program available that combines:

This skill of building relationship is at the heart of results-based teacher leadership!

If you are selected for the program, your commitment to showing up mentally, energetically and creatively are your keys to achieving what you want. You must be willing to ask for support, be open to new ways of thinking and welcome the opportunity to be challenged to step out of your comfort zone and into the space of possibility!

Selection is by application and interview only. We are committed to bringing the perfect blend of candid, creative and courageous individuals together, for a powerful, provocative, and prosperous experience.

To be accepted into

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA):

First… finish reading this letter so you are clear as to HOW this powerful program will benefit you.

Then…simply complete the application for The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA).

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) Application Form

Return the application by February 1 at 5:00p Mountain Time (electronically or by mail) to ensure your cohort space!  We accept applications through May 1

This is an investment in Results

Of course you want to know that your life will change as a result of being a part of The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA). Here is a partial list of what you will learn:

  • People who work in teams demonstrate a sense of ownership, exhibit strong communication skills, and produce dynamic results.
  • There is tremendous value in combining thoughts and actions, in sharing tasks according to learning or working styles, and in the synergy of teamwork.
  • Teams perform best when teammates bring a variety of abilities, experiences, personalities, and problem-solving approaches to the group.
  • Differences can add depth, create strength, broaden the group, and bring balance.
  • Planning skills: Managing your time is really about managing your energy. The key is to gain more control of both by learning to plan appropriately.
  • Prioritizing skills: An essential part of reducing stress is learning to set and maintain priorities.
  • Organizing and Simplifying skills: Is your life too cluttered, fast-paced, or out of balance? You can improve the quality of your life by organizing and simplifying such areas as your lifestyle, personal time, shopping, work, finances, and health.
  • How to re-ignite and re-connect with your life purpose
  • Increase your emotional awareness, emotional agility
  • Address specific challenges related to health, professional and personal life
  • Make powerful improvements in areas of life balance
  • Build trust and discover your authenticity and power
  • ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR EXPERTISE!!!!

Rewrite Your Personal And Professional Story!

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA)

5 day intensives with the horses at each Level (Apprentice, Novice, Intern and Advanced)

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) is a deep journey of self-exploration and transformational learning. In addition to classroom and group process work, our equine coaches help us develop new competencies in working with and relating to others, exercising mind-body awareness, non-verbal communication, assertiveness, creativity, and leadership skills. During these intensives, you will experience your own authenticity through the way of the horse, master-mind and play, receive and celebrate the emergence of your Authentic Self.

9 Virtual Coaching Classes and MasterMind

During the months of September – May, we will meet virtually as a group for learning intensives.  These virtual coaching classes serve as a MasterMind and provide a powerful thread of learning and relationship throughout your learning journey. Our monthly teleclasses provide both follow-up support and continuous learning to those who have attended one or more of our Teacher Leadership Academy modules.  We offer teleclasses connected to each of our modules so that learners have the opportunity to receive feedback and coaching based on job-embedded practice.  All of our teleclasses support training and deep learning for participants, as well as opportunities to share successes and challenges and receive coaching feedback from our skilled TLA coaches. All calls will be recorded. 

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Private coaching

Private coaching is available to establish and maintain your initial goals, challenges and expectations. These sessions are designed to reinforce what you experience in the group sessions and provide a private, confidential space to help you process and move forward with whatever needs to happen next for you personally. Click on the Coaching Packages section for more information.

Kim McElroy’s ‘Authentic Power’

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA)
Is ONLY Right For You If Are Willing:

  • To take ACTION even if it feels scary at times (because it will, and you will have help to get through it!)
  • To be DECISIVE, speak up for yourself, seek your truth and claim what you want
  • And able to commit 100% to your own growth, show up fully and ask for support
  • To try something new and reach out beyond your current experience or knowledge

If Accepted Into The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA):

Your Commitment Includes:

  • Reading this invitation letter and filling out the application
  • Honoring your financial commitment/investment timelines
  • Attending the monthly Coaching Classes/Mastermind
  • Supporting the other participants with your full attention (hold the space for their personal growth, connect with them, offer honest feedback)
  • Refraining from multi-tasking during sessions and calls
  • Authenticity, honesty and speaking up for what you need and want
  • Keeping us informed of any personal situations that may interfere with your experience of the program
  • Honoring confidentiality both in and out of the specific programs and events
  • Letting it be okay to not know all the answers (be kind to yourself)
  • Giving yourself permission to just be YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF!
  • Having a clear intention, topic or goal for each coach call or mastermind session
  • Being responsible for your own results, which includes proactively asking for support, scheduling coaching calls and using your program benefits
  • Honoring your investment and the expectations you are making in yourself by handling any situations that may take you away from your experience, being patient with yourself and resting when necessary to recharge and rejuvenate
  • Honoring our relationship by being direct, truthful, open (we will go farther, faster this way)
  • Celebrating your wins, shifts, achievements and excitement throughout the program with all of us!

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) Application Form

Our Commitment Includes:

  • 100% Belief in YOU and your ability to achieve your vision of success
  • Sharing of in-depth information and knowledge with you so you move forward in learning, creating possibilities for yourself!
  • To always hold the space for you to be fully present and authentically YOU
  • Holding you accountable to act from your higher self, even when you may not feel that way
  • Being in integrity and honest at all times
  • Holding the highest standards for you and us (and to hold you accountable for taking the action steps you create and agree to)
  • A promise to be patient and kind with your progress so that you know you always have a safe place to express where you are at any given time of your development
  • Handling any situation that crosses the line of acceptability, helping you to resolve and move beyond things you might be putting up with that is not in alignment with your unique brilliance
  • Sharing creative or inspired ideas without the need to have you “like” them (We’ll either come up with another one or you’ll be inspired to create your own)
  • Coaching you to explore and reveal your own creative genius, coaching you to achieve your highest potential
  • Acknowledging that you are connected to spirit and that there is unlimited possibilities available to you, no matter what a particular situation may look like
  • Caring for you and the highest good of the entire group!

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) Application Form

 

Our Commitment Also Includes:

Confidentiality is crucial in this program.

Coaching is a powerful process and at times, you may feel “up against a wall” or as if something isn’t working. This is often a perfect sign that you are releasing obstacles and limiting beliefs. Our request is that any and all concerns regarding assignments and coaching be addressed with us so we can be the best coach to you and assure the coaching relationship is in integrity. We will work together to make sure your needs are met.

We are passionate about YOU and YOUR success – no matter what! It is our passion and mission to help you to clearly define and create a congruent, harmonious flow of abundance; energetically, mentally and physically.  It is also to support and coach you to leverage your unique brilliance!

As your coach and facilitators, we will maintain a highly confidential environment. However, in the case of a legal request we, and our representatives, cannot hold confidentiality as we do not have a doctor/client privilege. If information you share with us is sufficiently “illegal” or “dangerous-to-oneself-or-others”, we will consult an attorney in order to determine whether or not to notify authorities. If information you share with us creates an uncomfortable feeling for us, or steps outside of our ethics and integrity base, we will let you know and reserve the right to terminate the instructional/coaching relationship.

For you and your program colleagues, it is essential to maintain a space of confidentiality and non-disclosure. You must commit to not disclosing any information about any participant in any way outside of the group. You must also commit to not using private or sensitive trade secrets that a participant shares for your own gain. You may connect with an individual directly and obtain permission in writing to determine the “classification or sensitivity” of their ideas and programs for your own usage with their written permission only.

Tuition:

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) is an intense professional commitment. Each Module, or Level, is a 5 day intensive Institute, requiring virtual and electronic follow-up experiences.

Cost of each level (Module)

$1999.00 for five days (does not include costs associated with some meals, transportation and lodging. Healthy snacks will be provided morning and afternoon, as well as a healthy, light lunch)

 

A non-refundable deposit of $500.00 is due by March 1 to hold your place in a cohort. There are only 15 available seats in each cohort.

Payment Options:  $1999.00 – $500.00 non-refundable deposit due March 1Option A:                     Full payment of $1499.00 by April 1Option B:                     50% payment of $749.50 by April 1 and 50% pymt of $749.50 May 1Funding Sources: Title I, II, III, IV, V, VI, IDEA, IDEA-B, Grants, Individual paymentUniversity Credit for continuing education is pending.

 

Sessions held in June & July

 

Commitment and Termination:

Equine Alchemy Southwest works diligently to ensure you have a unique and useful experience. We also understand that it’s possible to have an unexpected scheduling conflict, family or personal emergency.  We would like you to be aware of the following:

We are always happy to reschedule you in a later cohort series, if space is available,with NO PENALTY to you.
Deposits are Non-refundable.
There will be no refund for an altered visit once you arrive at the learning center.
There will be no refund for an early departure.
We are a very small operation and last minute cancellations or changes can and will have a major impact.  We hope you understand and opt for rescheduling rather than cancelling. We respectfully cannot make any exceptions.

Payment and Refund Policy (.DOC format)

The Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) Application Form

Hotel and Transportation Information Available Upon Acceptance Into the Academy.

Equine Alchemy Southwest…Transforming the Present into the Possible