There are two or three things that teachers know for sure—matter of fact—there are two or three things that teachers know for sure about many subjects. As educators, we are facing two troubling economic realities. First, in many school districts, there is a lack of adequate support for ongoing teacher inservice and professional growth, especially for those teaching in the most challenged schools. Second, there is a lack of adequate financial support for administrative innovations in how these schools are organized to better serve students who are labeled either “remedial” or “gifted.” Given that reality, we also know that many thoughtful teachers and administrators have devised solutions for different aspects of these problems. We need to take the time and open ourselves to find these.

In another area of educational economic fallout, teachers know that they have lost job security and financial support to provide adequate textbooks, materials and resources so that teaching and learning can continue to be a joyful experience for students and teachers.

Dorothy Allison says in her book of that name, “There are two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that if we are not beautiful to each other, we cannot know beauty in any form.” As teachers, we know that there are two or three things we know for sure and one of them is that if we are not supporting each other, reaching out and sharing our knowledge, our resources, our questions, we will not know how or where else we can find that support that we need.

In the small groups that we will be working in this weekend, we will have a model of how teachers can work together over time to share knowledge and resources to find answers and strength in each other. As we move into the larger groups, we share and extend our experience into the larger community learning from them as well.

This year at Asilomar 59, author and teacher Dorothy Allison will open our weekend in her clear, honest voice asking us to look at ourselves and reminding us of what we do so well. On Saturday evening we will have the opportunity to come together to get to know teachers we may have met or worked with before and see them in new ways or with new insight. We will also be able to meet new teachers finding common experiences and exploring our differences.

On Sunday morning U.S. Poet Laureate and 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner, Robert Hass will share his poetry and experiences as a writer and educator to nurture our minds and our souls. Although we will leave on Sunday having had different experiences, we are certain that we will each leave knowing two or three things with a great deal more surety.

Asilomar 59: Two or Three Things We Know for Sure