I am back including my posts. Mary Oliver wrote this beautiful and short poem which points out the need for quiet time. I accomplished a lot during my break. I flew home twice and am back in Edmonton for Christmas. I spent the time away from the blog completing the course work and getting ready for the next part of the journey: my dissertation writing.
Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe
that I do not want it. Now I understand
why the old poets of China went so far and high
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
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
Teacher as Transformer 
I hope you’re making time to breathe 🙂
I am and have been. It will be a slower pace, hard to believe, in the next term.
if you are living in the society it will influence you. you cant help it.
You are right. It is important to make sure the influence is healthy.
wonderfully reminds me
why I take refuge
in nature
where reminders of the natural pace
of living peacefully welcome 🙂
Thank you for a beautiful verse.
Beautiful poem!!! Thanks!
Thank you and you are welcome.
Lovely…. And congratulations on your progress on your journey!
Thank you and thank you.
Sounds like you’ve been pretty busy.
Welcome back Ivon 🙂
Thank you.
Wonderful post Ivon. We missed you in blogger land.
Thank you on both counts David. It is nice to be back.
Lovely poem and yes our local environment does grow on us!
It does for sure.
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
THE OLD POETS…WERE REALLY GOOD POETS!
Sure glad the rest of us get to share in your creativity too! Merry Christmas! 🙂
Thank you Jonathan. I am enjoying all the creativity that comes my way from many people. Thank you for the re-blog.
And thank YOU…for your gracious visits my way. 🙂
You are welcome.
ORT-ORT-ORT!!!!
I Nominate you for A Christmas Bouquet – Awards – Ajaytao – 48 Nominations
please choose any 3 awards out of the 48
accept it and oblige
there are no linkbacks for this award
http://ajaytao2010.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/christmas-bouquet-awards-ajaytao-48-nominations/
Thank you Ajay. This is much appreciated.
thank you dear Ivon 🙂 🙂
Ivon, my mother said I was that way since I was a child! If I had my way that is where I would be right now. There is a certain peace that embraces you when its only you and God together, to read and melt into the wisdom that He brings! But in reality…I stay because of wife and daughters and grandchildren, helping them to make their lives better and because of love. Wonderful post my friend!
Thank you on many levels Wendell. I enjoy just being in nature. It is, as you so eloquently put it, a place to be with God.
Beautiful poem, Ivon. Great to see you back 🙂
Thank you on both points. It is is nice to be back.
I love the images your verse reflects! I see you were in Edmonton…Alberta? I was there from the end of September through the first part of December. Beautiful Saskatchewan River Valley!
The river valley is a beautiful place to walk. I get a sense of not being in a large metropolitan area when I walk there.
beautiful poem and wonderful read, Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome and thank you Francina.