Ti koro nko agyina: one person does not hold council, is the Ashanti proverb that teaches us the importance of wisdom and deep learning that we benefit from as part of a collective. It helps us to realize that a council is a powerful force, especially when we recognize our capabilities to engage in a supportive space when we are together.
The Witness Tree Institute’s first cohort can be guided with wisdom through their trip by creating gracious space. As a teacher who helped lead a trip two years ago, I felt that sense of collective joy and engagement, through the concept of gracious space, a foundational principle of WTIG. As defined by the Center for Ethical Leadership, “gracious space creates a foundation for building a space of belonging for a diverse group of people to engage in deep listening and shared learning in time of complexity and change.” When I apply this principle to my Ghanaian experiences, I start to realize the power of experiential learning when a gracious space is created. By building trust, our cohort was able to feel a sense of freedom and spontaniety. This translated to a collective sense of belonging through sharing, music and dance.
As I reflect on gracious space, I think about my own transitions over the last four years. I left a school where I worked for decades, to a brand new “start up” school, and then after three years, I returned to my “old” school. There are so many reasons for why I left, and why I returned, but in the midst of it all, I am trying to think about the larger lessons and roles I’ve played and how I applied lessons from Witness Tree to my experiences. At the “new” school, I felt a lack of community as the school was in its infancy and everyone was working to create “systems” to be able to run the school. It felt like something was missing, and I worked to connect students and faculty through music. While there was no music program (and I don’t read music) I worked to have students sing songs and create skits. In Ghana, singing and dancing are part of the informal education of all students and it’s beautifully spontaneous. Witness Tree bus trips turn into moments of gracious space, where everyone is smiling inside and out. At my “old school” I love the moments where all 350 community members sing in All School Meeeing. There’s a sense of collective joy. We are creating something together. These moments sustain me during a busy and hectic school year.
As the first cohort gears up for their adventure, may each participant feel the beauty of gracious space that is created through songs, dance, and shared adventures. The learning from this trip will sustain you over time. It will inspire new wisdom that you can pass on to your school communities. The ripple effect of your participation in this program will be felt by everyone you touch.
Elise Mott teaches English at The Fenn School and is on the Board of The Witness Tree Institute of Ghana.
