Having the Courage to Teach means that you are inviting yourself to be a lifelong learner. You will forever be forced to evolve, change, modify, and adapt to the new students you teach. Your mind should be open to diverse ways of thinking. Reflecting on your teaching daily is essential to see where you can improve to bring the students further into the discussion/text/subject the next day. A good teacher is never finished growing. You can never say "I know all there is to know about teaching. I think I can retire now." We will always have the subjects and students that will challenge us to do better, learn more.

Chapter 7:
The courage to teach means meeting student needs to me.  This means I need to have a personal connection with my students that surpasses state benchmarks and connects with individual needs.  It goes deeper than the guidelines the state sets for me.  I need to know what my students need and try to provide that for them.  What could be better than that? 
 I personally am at stage three=I am part of communities that are going public.  I am very involved with my state teacher organization (this involvement has happened over serveral years of careful thought as to what I want for the students I teach).
A. White Audrey:  Good for you to involve yourself at the state level.  This is not easy to do and you'll make a difference.  I feel that our involvement in the writing project supports writing reform since we are going deeper and not only teaching to the test.  My involvement with the charter school has also been a reform movement since our parents want more for their children than just the basics.  Cheryl K.

Virginia & Cheryl- In regard to your comments that you find it easier to "leave space" in one-on-one teaching situations--that makes perfect sense to me when you are looking at "space" being the time the teacher is quiet and the student is offering ideas.

 Space can also be interpreted in another way.  The times that I have introduced a new concept or activity and designed it so that the students had to interact to complete an investigation or an assignment, I gave space, but expected student interaction and a certain amount of productive noise.  In my understanding, space does not have to be quiet time, but rather time for students to respond and interact to the subject and each other.  One example that comes to mind was when I intoduced a map unit to my first grade class.  I first had to teach them about bird's eye view and we looked at maps.  The space I gave them in the next activity was that they constructed a block model of our classroom.  There was a lot of discussion, student to student interaction, and very little teacher voice as they problem solved to create the block replica.Audrey:  Thank you for your clarification on space.  I think we allow space when our students are focused on writing that interests them in a writing workshop.  The teacher is more of a facilitator.  Cheryl K.

In Chapter Five Palmer presented the ideas of the a subject-centered education vs. a student-centered education. What struck you in this chapter? As you reflect on your own teaching of writing and literacy what ideas made sense to you?


The author stated that one needed to allow a space between the teacher and the students in which a great idea would have its own space.  The teacher was not to fill the whole space with his/her knowledge of the great idea, but to leave some open space for the students.  I need to think on the practical applications of this more in the K - 3 grades.

In ESL, it was mentioned that in the US we are uncomfortable with silence of more than 3 seconds.  It was taught that in other cultures a prolonged silence showed more respect for contemplative time to think and analyze.  Therefore as teachers we should allow at least 7 seconds after asking a question.

I did have a 1:1 tutoring opportunity recently around a great subject with 1 student.  I found myself relaxing more than normal and allowing more "space."  This student though disabled contributed with humor and his own perceptions as I led in the introduction to the "great subject" but then let him fill in some of the space. It sounds like the open space in a classroom is a challenge.  This is my first time hearing this term too.  I think writing across the curriculum would allow for the deeper thinking that we want to allow students to have time for.  Asking good questions of our students also allows for some critical thinking and listening to one another.  We have wonderful resources from other teachers.  I hope we can support each other more.

As I read chapter 1 -The Heart of a Teacher, I could not help but think of my first teaching experience.  I studied art and art history and wanted to be the best art teacher I could be.  I think I had something like eighty credits in art and not much else but high hopes that I could make a difference and turn kids on to art.  When I did get my first job teaching high school art, it was not the experience I hoped.  I was teaching students in a rural environment with little support for art at that time (money or otherwise), many who would have rather had another elective if there had been one.  I taught in this situation for three years until I had no more heart for it.  I just didn't feel honest teaching art and promoting careers in art that I knew were not probably realistic for most of my students.  My integrity had been compromised--I just didn't feel honest to myself in working in that role any longer.  I decided to take additional training to add on elementary education so that I could teach younger children and hopefully use my art training in a new way in the elementary classroom.  What I discovered in this process was that although the subject had called me initially, what I loved about teaching was my students.  I became an elementary teacher.

When I was studying to become a teacher the subject of art called me because I had an interest in art at a young age.  My father was a lithographer so I always had a ready supply of paper that I could draw and paint on and I was indulged with art lessons.  My identity was that I considered myself an artist and therefore that was what I felt I could teach.  What a big surprise when I discovered that I didn't really love to teach what I loved to do!  My identity had been challenged.  As Parker Palmer states on page 18, "In this culture, objective facts are regarded as pure, while subjective feeligs are suspect and sullied".  I found out that I just detested evaluating my students' creative efforts and putting a grade on them.  My inner core was speaking to me, even though I didn't know it at the time.  Audrey, what a teaching story and one of personal growth.  I know your art background can enrich the lives of your students.  I'm sure your students sense your deep gladness as you encourage them to their best work.  Cheryl K

Chapter 1:  The definition of integrity and identity.  So I paraphrase this, Identity is  making sure that who I am in the inner core is consitent with any "me layers"  Integrity is making sure that the inner core and all its layers is what is seen when I meet others and they meet me.

Pushing out from my inner core in concentric circles sort of makes sense. Letting others then probing into those circles and finding that they are consistent.



What I ought to do versus what I "get to do"  was the theme of our son's graduation.  The speaker said if you focus on what I "get to do" you more likely are going to do those things that are consistent with yourself.  If you "get to do something" in order to accomplish something else, whether it be in teaching or life, then your attitude will bring out who you are, not what you begrudgingly are trying to "perform" for others. 

Right now I "get to be a substitute teacher."  I love it.  It is who I am.  As a substitute I am becoming comfortable with "being the me" substitute.  It has become fun. Virginia,  Any thing is our life can seem easier when we see it as "I get to...   I believe we bring our whole self to the classroom.  We bring our intellect, emotions, and spirit.  Our connectedness to our students makes such a difference in our day.

Chapter 3:

One paradox I definitely relate to is Palmer's quotation of E. F. Schumacher:  "How can one reconcile the demands of freedom and discipline in education?"  I want my students to have the freedom to make music, have fun, and ask questions, but also have enough discipline in the classroom to allow productive rehearsals.  I haven't learned to negotiate this paradox yet, but I hope to soon!

I also found it interesting to think about the paradox of gifts and limits, especially considering gifts that are themselves also limits.  This isn't a very profound example, but I think of my ability to hear everything that is going on as a gift (catching wrong notes in rehearsal, which leads to important teachable moments and better-sounding music) and also a limitation (being unable to focus on the task at hand when there is a side conversation happening).Cheryl, is sounds like you have a very productice learning environment.  Student choice and discipline are wonderful ingredients for any classroom.  It sounds like you are analytical and use this to help students understand how to play their music.  What a wonderful use of your gift.  How do you gracefully handle the side conversation that can so disturb the practice time?  What an interesting look at yourself.

Chapter 3

Paradoxical tensions – Palmer brings up such deep and questionable thoughts.
Chapter 3

How do I incorporate paradox into my classroom?  What an interesting concept - new to me, for sure.  I hope I encourage my 6th graders to think about other lifestyles outside of ours in Kettle Falls, WA. and the U.S., when we’re studying Geography.  I try to encourage them to research and expand their thinking about differences in lifestyles, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds.  While I want my students to be comfortable in their own lifestyle and I want them to understand that their way, or the generally accepted ways in the U.S. are not the only “correct” ways in the world. 

This can be taken into the world of literature, as well.  We recently read “The Giver” as a read aloud, and the comments showed a great deal of narrow-mindedness.  It was disturbing from my perspective.  But the conversations that generated from their uncomfortableness were worthy of our time.  Perhaps this Palmer’s 4th paradox – honoring the little stories in our lives and the big stories of the disciplines, as well as the first paradox of learning space being open and bounded. 

Shannon, I think offering this opportunity to think about other lifestyles in other countries is wonderful for our students.  We can embrace our differences and see new ways of living.

Culture of Fear

I agree about the fear.  I think unfortunately we keep adding more fears.  Fear of global climate change, fear of being obese, fear of not eating right, all themes in some classrooms.
These are subject to study, but not to induce more "fears" into our students.

Recently I found myself saying, "Its okay if you don't get it right.  That is why we are practicing.  That is what school is for."  I think I was talking as much to myself as to the student.