Category Archives: Administrators

Guest Blogger for Abundant Community: Becoming a Community Connector

2 Replies

Picture taken from Abundant Community Website

I was approached Leslie Stephen, the editor of John McKnight and Peter Block’s Abundant Community book and website to be a guest blogger, shortly after my post about their book and wonderful work in communities. I was thrilled that after only a few posts, that I would be approached by them in such a way.

After speaking on the phone first to John and then to Leslie, we came to the idea of me writing for them as a guest blogger about my experiences, so that others could learn from the work that I am doing.

I am honored to be featured on their website today. My hope is that through continuing my work as a community connector as they describe, and continuing to host future meetings in my own community, that I may advance the work of including kids with disabilities in neighborhood schools. They have asked me to write a guest blog post about my experiences, learning and conversations for them each time I host a meeting. This is the first post about my first meeting, that I held last month.

Please take a moment to read and make comments about my experiences, either here, or on their site. It is thrilling to be connecting people in these ways, and an unbelievable feeling for me, personally, to have my work showcased in such a fashion. I am feeling humbled as well as hopeful about this great work, and what it will mean for parents, families and schools.

The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings and Conversations

1 Reply

Art of Convening

Today I read the book written by Craig and Patricia Neal with Cynthia Wold, called The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations. I have wanted to read this book for many reasons, one of which is that I feel that the facilitation of groups is a skill that needs purposeful practice and reflection in order to become better at creating meaningful relationships that move systems forward to action. Another reason is that Craig and Patricia are better known in our home as “Bop and Nana”, as they are the grandparents of my boys’ best friends.

It is interesting when you read a person’s work, versus just talking to them about what they do. I found that when I first posted on my blog, many people commented to me about how they never knew what the degree of my passion or experience within schools was – despite knowing me for a long time. There were not occasions to discuss it to that degree, and reading on my blog brought them to a new understanding of what I do and why I do it. Continue reading →

A Report from the Community Meeting!

8 Replies
From Dan Habib's Including Samuel

From Dan Habib's "Including Samuel"

Last week I held a community meeting to discuss inclusive practices in neighborhood schools. I announced it on various schools’ websites, sent out emails, posted on Facebook, Twitter, and my blog, and generally tried to get the word out.

It resulted in a small, yet very important, group attending for the conversation. In attendance were parents, both of kids with and without identified disabilities; attorneys whose work focuses on special education law and parents rights; the director of special education for the Minnesota Department of Education; teachers; and community members. Continue reading →