Teaching like any truly human activity emerges from one's inwardness.
Interpretation
Teaching is deeply personal and originates from the teacher's inner self.
This quote by Parker J. Palmer emphasizes that teaching is not just a technical skill or a set of methods; it is a deeply human endeavor that stems from the teacher's own experiences, beliefs, and authenticity. A teacher's genuine connection with their inner self influences how they engage with students and the overall learning environment, highlighting the importance of personal reflection in the teaching process.
In practice
A teacher sharing this quote during a professional development workshop on reflective teaching.
The academic bias against subjectivity not only forces our students to write poorly ("It is believed...," instead of, "I believe..."), it deforms their thinking about themselves and their world. In a single stroke, we delude our students into believing that bad prose turns opinions into facts and we alienate them from their own inner lives.
Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.
Self-care is never a selfish act - it is only good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others.
We need a coat with two pockets. In one pocket there is dust, and in the other pocket there is gold. We need a coat with two pockets to remind us who we are.
The kind of teaching that transforms people does not happen if the student’s inward teacher is ignored… we can speak to the teacher within our students only when we are on speaking terms with the teacher within ourselves.
Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks--we will also find our path of authentic service in the world.
Much of writing might be described as mental pregnancy with successive difficult deliveries.
Imagine a world where children were fed tasty and nutritious, real food at school from the age of 4 to 18. A world where every child was educated about how amazing food is, where it comes from, how it affects the body and how it can save their lives.
The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.
My dream is to see every girl educated, in every country.
A liberal education will impart an awareness of the amazing and precious complexity of human relationships. Since those relationships are violated more often out of insensitiveness than out of deliberate intent, whatever increases sensitiveness of perception and understanding humanizes life.
I quit college so fast I didn't even clean out my locker.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.