 About NWTC...
Richard Scholtz and Tom Hunter invite you to
join them at a gathering of people who want to explore broad issues of
learning and teaching:
-
finding the balance between meeting prescribed requirements
and being responsive to individual needs
- reclaiming the energy that comes from being
proud to be a teacher
- creating learning environments where finding
meaning matters
- making times and spaces for the satisfactions
and the struggles of the creative process
 Founded in 1996,
Northwest Teachers
Conference reflects the belief that education works best when
individuals and groups define their own questions and search for their own
answers. It's held soon after the school year has ended. Educators are
tired. Details are full and fresh and, for a time, deadlines are over.
Emotions and ideas from work just completed are easily shared. It's the
perfect time to reflect with peers from across the country. It's also the
perfect time to have fun and celebrate together.
There is room for 75 at
NWTC, with
limited space for children of participants. The daily schedule gives
practical shape to our intention that the people who are there for the week
help
create the program:
- Each morning a staff member leads a session
for adult participants and the rest of the staff. These sessions are
interactive and they end with time for reflection.
- Afternoons are open for free time or
participant-initiated workshops. These workshops can be
led by either participants
or staff.
- In the evening all adults and children
gather for fun and reflection with stories, games, skits, and songs.
Informal singing and conversation continue into the night.
 NWTC
participants include teachers, administrators and specialists who work with
ages ranging from birth to adult in many
different settings. They come from across the United States and are
motivated to explore what they don't know and deepen what is familiar. Each
participant is nourished and celebrated and they return home with renewed
energy, topics for further reflection, and details for their own teaching.
Where NWTC Happens...
Camp Brotherhood was founded in 1967. This secluded site, south of
Mt. Vernon, WA, was once a working farm and is set in a beautiful valley.
There are trails and large play fields and
cottage or motel-style housing
Click here to
check out Camp Brotherhood.
Topics...
Here is a partial list of the substantive topics we've
explored at previous sessions:
- Exploring vocabularies for communication
without words
- Memories: How do
our childhood memories affect our teaching and what memories are we
helping to create now?
- Responding to requirements, benchmarks and
test scores
- Creating a lively
learning community in the classroom, and the value of routine
- The
importance of nourishing ourselves as teachers
- Building
curriculum on science and the natural world
- Authority: power
over/power with
- Group games and
leadership philosophy
- Scientific method
put into ordinary language
- Challenging our
notions of multiculturalism
- Folk tales to tell
in classroom and home
- The teacher in
literature
- Administrator's workshop:
Sharing the Load
- Stress management
for administrators
- Stress management
and mentoring for administrators
- The big ideas
behind the lesson plan
- Rhythm and meaning
in poetry and Shakespeare
- Journal writing,
improvisational drama, puppet making
- Autoharp, guitar,
lullabies, rhythms, interactive singing, songs for transitions and lesson
plans
If you have questions or want a more
detailed picture, please call Tom at (360) 738-0340
or Richard at (360) 676-8915 or one of the
longtime participants.
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following and "Save Target As..." to download:
[About]
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[Testimonials]
[NWTC Contact]
[Tom Hunter & The Song
Growing Co.]
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