The challenge for me, over the years, has been to accept that the change I want in the world begins with me to paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi. Thomas Merton and, later, Parker Palmer wrote about the violence of activism. They are not talking about social justice, but the being so busy that the busyness of triviality overwhelms. Paul Simon’s words come to mind: Slow down/you move to fast/you gotta make the morning last. Have a great morning.

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About ivonprefontaine

In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms. I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders. I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs. I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry. I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry. I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope, nonviolence and its anticipatory relationship with the future, as essential elements to teaching and learning. Academic publications can be found at Ivon Gile Prefontaine on ResearchGate

6 responses »

  1. Thank you for sharing and your wise words. Quality of life means that quality ripples out to benefit others. Have a great weekend Ivon.

    Reply
  2. At work, I put a computer reminder every 30 minutes in my Outlook that says “Slow me down Lord”. Technology, must be used wisely to remind me to slow down. Good thoughts Ivon.

    Reply
  3. Charlotte Rode's avatar Charlotte Rode

    Hey, Gonzaga Men’s Basketball are top in the country right now….and the change thoughts you write about are resonating with me right now as I think about PDK memberships and working with my student teacher. Also love the image you posted.

    Reply
    • Good to hear from you Charlotte. I tell people that I have all my NCAA eligibility available and am just waiting for the call to put the team over the top. I have not heard from Mark Few, the coach, yet.

      Change is always with us. We need to be aware of it and ask questions about where we want to go with it.

      Take care and have a wonderful, albeit wintry day.

      Reply

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