The path upon which all educators journey toward authentic community is fraught with hazards and rarely smooth and inviting. The term community-builder is not typically used to describe the basic job requirements for teachers and school administrators, and yet it is now widely known and accepted that when professional educators learn and work together in community, their collective impact on student learning is profoundly strengthened and their identity changes. In her book, Spirit In Action, Deborah Loesch-Griffin lays bare the ways of knowing, the search for clear direction, the jerks and starts that seekers of true community experience. Her insights, struggles and epiphanies about the true essence of community-building offer educators an elegant roadmap for building community in schools and classrooms and enjoying the journey as well.



Lynn Sawyer, educational consultant in Cognitive Coaching and school leadership, and former director of professional development in a large western school district.