The courage to teach : exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life

by Parker J. Palmer

Hardcover, 1998

Publication

Imprint: San Francisco, California : Jossey-Bass, c1998. Edition: First edition. 37221159. Physical: 1 volume : xvii, 199 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. Features: Includes index.

Call number

RMT / Palme

Barcode

BK-07688

ISBN

0787910589 / 9780787910587

Original publication date

1998

CSS Library Notes

Description: Palmer's classic teaching manual builds on the simple premise that good teaching cannot be reduced to technique but is rooted in the identity and integrity of the teacher. Good teaching takes myriad forms but good teachers share one trait: they are authentically present in the classroom, in community with their students and their subject. They possess "a capacity for connectedness" and are able to weave a complex web of connections between themselves, their subjects, and their students, helping their students weave a world for themselves. Connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts -- the place where intellect, emotion, spirit, and will converge in the human self -- when we choose to live authentic lives.

Table of Contents: The heart of a teacher: identity and integrity in teaching --
A culture of fear: education and the disconnected life --
The hidden wholeness: paradox in teaching and learning --
Knowing in community: joined by the grace of great things --
Teaching in community: a subject-centered education --
Learning in community: the conversation of colleagues --
Divided no more: teaching from a heart of hope --

FY2017 /

Physical description

xvii, 199 p.; 24 cm

Description

"This book is for teachers who have good days and bad - and whose bad days bring the suffering that comes only from something one loves. It is for teachers who refuse to harden their hearts, because they love learners, learning, and the teaching life." - Parker J. Palmer [from the Introduction] For many years, Parker Palmer has worked on behalf of teachers and others who choose their vocations for reasons of the heart but may lose heart because of the troubled, sometimes toxic systems in which they work. Hundreds of thousands of readers have benefited from his approach in THE COURAGE TO TEACH, which takes teachers on an inner journey toward reconnecting with themselves, their students, their colleagues, and their vocations, and reclaiming their passion for one of the most challenging and important of human endeavors. This book builds on a simple premise: good teaching cannot be reduced to technique but is rooted in the identity and integrity of the teacher. Good teaching takes myriad forms but good teachers share one trait: they are authentically present in the classroom, in community with their students and their subject. They possess "a capacity for connectedness" and are able to weave a complex web of connections between themselves, their subjects, and their students, helping their students weave a world for themselves. The connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts - the place where intellect, emotion, spirit, and will converge in the human self - supported by the community that emerges among us when we choose to live authentic lives. BONUS: Includes an audio CD featuring a 45-minute conversation between Parker Palmer and his colleagues, Marcy Jackson and Estrus Tucker from the Center for Courage & Renewal. They reflect on what they have learned from working with thousands of teachers in their "Courage to Teach" program (www.CourageRenewal.org)and with others who yearn for greater integrity in their professional lives. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.… (more)

Language

Original language

English

User reviews

LibraryThing member FlyingBarney
For anybody who is thinking of being a teacher, an educator, or a facilitator of learning.
LibraryThing member brettmoller
Just a great inspirational read when life as a teacher gets tough.
LibraryThing member mfassold
Parker Palmer has a big vocabulary and makes you pull out the dicionary every now and then, but reading this book is a must for any current or future teacher. Teaching is a calling based around the love of students and subject. Reading Palmer is like mining for gold; a lot of work with rich rewards.
LibraryThing member kathleenthereader
Great book for teachers, or ayone who cares about what they do and integrity.
LibraryThing member mpardee
I have read and re-read this wonderful volume--both on my own and in conjunction with educator colleagues from several schools. I have highlighted and re-highlighted many passages. This book really bears re-reading well. To me, that attests to its lasting value.

One of my favorite excerpts, for
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instance, is this one (which falls on pp. 107 - 108 of Courage to Teach):
"When we are at our best, it is because the grace of great things has evoked from us the virtues that give educational community its finest form:
* We invite diversity into our community not because it is politically correct but because diverse viewpoints are demanded by the manifold mysteries of great things.
* We embrace ambiguity not because we are confused or indecisive but because we understand the inadequacy of our own concepts to embrace the vastness of great things.
* We welcome creative conflict not because we are angry or hostile but because conflict is required to correct our biases and prejudices about the nature of great things.
* We practice honesty not only because we owe it to one another but because to lie about what we have seen would be to betray the truth of great things.
* We experience humility not because we have fought and lost but because humility is the only lens through which great things can be seen--and once we have seen them, humility is the only posture possible...."
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LibraryThing member bigmoose
An excellent treatise on the art and science of teaching. Chapter two about teaching in the Culture of Fear was especially insightful. While this one is a little dated, the concepts and principles are timeless.
LibraryThing member JerryColonna
Beautiful for leaders to read as we are all, always teaching.
LibraryThing member ReadHanded
I've heard everyone and their brother say that The Courage to Teach is a must-read for anyone in education, but I just couldn't get into it. I definitely found some gems, but Palmer's thoughts were not terribly well organized and he often repeated points. I didn't hate it, it just felt a lot longer
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than its 200-something pages. Maybe because classroom teaching is only one part of my job rather than the majority of it, I didn't relate well enough. I don't know. Educators should still read it, even if it's only so you can be a part of the conversation about it.
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LibraryThing member VincentDarlage
This book was both relevant and timely to my own approach and problems in teaching. This is a wonderful book, and many teachers & educational leaders would do well to read it and take it to heart.

Rating

(97 ratings; 4.1)
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