The Courage to Teach

Reflection Paper
Think of the word courage. Do images of dashing heroes and daredevil athletes come

to mind, or are you imagining a former professor with a cardigan and tortoiseshell glasses?

When you think of teachers, do you imagine them packing courage into their bags- as fighter

pilots pack a parachute or competitive climbers pack oxygen? What about heart? Do teachers

pack that as well, or are they simply doing a job for which they are compensated? Courage is

defined as the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty without fear.

Furthermore, courage is said to be derived from the French cuer and Latin cor; both meaning

heart (retrieved from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/courage?s=t). Courage and heart.

They are linked in origin and how we look at the world. If you are an effective teacher, chances

are that you have a bag overflowing with courage and heart.

Someone who knows quite a bit about courage and teaching in our modern world

is Mr. Parker Palmer. Mr. Palmer is an author and educator who focuses on education,

community, leadership, spirituality, and social change. In addition to being a founder of the

Center for Courage and Renewal, he holds various degrees and is a sought after speaker

(retrieved from:https:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Palmer).

In The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer aims to instill in readers that good

teachers are created from the inside out. This review will examine Mr. Parkers views on

passion, identity, fear, community and space. I will add perspective on how this work applies to

my life as a lifelong learner in general, and as graduate student in Adult Education and Training.
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I am a passionate person by nature. Until reading The Courage to Teach, I had always

related passion with positivity. Perhaps my lack of formal religious training has kept me from

equating suffering with passion. As a simplistic example, I am passionate about spending time

with my two daughters, therefore, I would equate not spending time with them as a form of

suffering--the opposite of, or void, of passion. The Courage to Teach taught me that passion

can be described as intense love or suffering, or both. It explains that the more one loves

teaching, the more heartbreaking it can be (Palmer, 2007, pxii). Included in Palmers book is

Frederick Buechners quote that describes passion as the place where your deep gladness and

the worlds hunger meet (as cited in Palmer, 2007, p31). This idea cracked my idea of passion

wide open. It is an eye opening perspective; one that we all should embrace and practice in our

daily lives. Keeping in mind that there are all types of learners and learning, I believe that only

through passion can we expect to create an even platform where fewer learners exist on the

margins of education and we are able, in Palmers words, to bring light and life into the world

(Palmer, 2007, p8).

One of my graduate classes focused on the Processes and Methods of teaching adults. I

relate the content of the class with a teachers passion for teaching. Our text offered insight on

the concepts of trust, empathy, authenticity, confidence, humility, enthusiasm and respect

(Brockett, 2015, p110). In addition, a Colorado State University website list of the top ten

requirements of a motivated educator places passion as the number one need (retrieved

from:http://www.biz.colostate.edu/ mti/tips/pages/GoodTeaching.aspx). My thoughts on

passion hold dearly that as teachers we must know our content, our students, and ourselves.

This is very much in line with what Palmer conveys in his book. He wisely adds that a passion

need not be noisy. It can be quietly intense (Palmer, 2007, p122). We need not carry signs
announcing our passions. If we are truly passionate, and teach with more heartfelt dedication

than mechanical technique, our passions will be felt and our identities revealed.

In addition to our passions, we all have gifts. But on what level are we aware of them?

I have been a daughter, a wife, and a mother. Within a short period of time, I lost my mom to

cancer, my husband of twenty-five years abruptly ended our marriage, and our youngest child

left to attend college out of state. As a result, I have been rebuilding my identity and trying to

connect with the gifts that are uniquely mine. I am proof that ones identity should receive

regular maintenance to strengthen and recognize the gifts that are uniquely ours. When we

allow our gifts to become memories, we are doing a huge disservice to ourselves as well as

those around us.

Palmer offers immense insight into the concept of reclaiming selfhood (Palmer, 2007). I

wish I had I known of this book earlier in my life. Palmer could have been writing exclusively

for me when he said dont go deaf to your inner guide (Palmer, 2007, p 31) and The lost will

never be found unless they send up a flare (Palmer, 2007, p181). In reference to teaching, he

states that identity is where good teaching comes from (Palmer, 2007, p72). The book asks us

who is the self who teaches? (Palmer, 2007, p7). Our answer should simply be that we are

ourselves, teaching from our hearts. If we know the conditions of our souls, we are surely more

capable of successfully connecting with our students, co-workers, neighbors and family

members. Drawing once again upon our Process and Methods course, we were encouraged to

know ourselves deeply in order to become better teachers. By glimpsing into the lives of

historic individuals who tapped into their hearts to provide education to those in need, we are

given proof that within great teachers lies an identity of helpfulness and caring. Their settings

were different, yet they were not afraid to take chances.

 Fear is powerful. Our sense of well-being often teeters on whether or not fear is

following us like a shadow. What I have learned through trial and error is that we must tackle

fears and take risks if we are to survive. This is how I ended up enrolling in graduate courses at

Colorado State University. Amongst other things, I was afraid of being too old and not smart

enough. We all fear criticism and want to fit in. In The Courage to Teach, we are reminded that

the great spiritual traditions say be not afraid -- if we feel different from others, Palmer

advises, dont feel threatened; feel enriched and act from a place of honesty about feeling fearful

(Palmer, 2007, p58). His theory coincides well with our Processes and Methods readings. Our

text advised that adult education gives learners a voice, increased self -esteem and confidence

(Kasworm, Rose, & Gordon, 2010, p19). We live in a globalized world where the force of

competition is likely to remain. As educators, there will be times when students, much like

myself, are afraid. Teachers can downplay the culture of fear in the classroom by offering a safe

place where students are residents of a village where physical and emotional safely reign.

When I overhear others saying it takes a village, I feel that I personify the

statement. We all have the need to be accepted and welcomed. During the most trying time of

my adult life, it became necessary to relocate as I could no longer afford to live in an affluent

suburb. As I left trusted neighbors and friends, I was aware of losing the village that I had known

for many years. Despite my fears, my new village embraced me and I formed new relationships.

I enrolled in graduate classes and made connections. Palmer says this about community: We

depend on one another for wholeness. Community is an outward and visible sign of an inward

and invisible grace (Palmer, 2007, p92). Deweys opinion on community was that we grow and

take shape through the process of social development (Dewey, 1938, p69). I agree with these

thoughtful descriptions. In another course, Adult Teaching and Learning, we have learned that
creating a climate of respect involves trust and collaboration. In such a community learners

support one another as they work towards a common goal. This is different than simply working

side by side; the collaborative approach allows learners to learn from, and help, one another.

What community wouldnt benefit from trust and collaboration? Its easy

to identify those that have these qualities and those that don't. In summing up the issue of

community, Palmer writes by virtue of being human, we are members of society (Palmer, 2007,

p100). Our family, friends, classmates and co-workers each contribute to our communities. We

should embrace them with gratitude.

Our next subject focuses on space. I enjoy physical settings that are warm and

welcoming. A physical environment has the power to influence our moods and set the tone for

our behaviors. Online learning threw me for a loop in this area. No classroom, no peers to

interact with, and no teacher to see a confused or aha! look in my eyes. The truth is, learning

and teaching can happen anywhere at any time. I have since learned that I have a setting worthy

of learning; our online environment is one Palmer would be proud of. It is hospitable, charged,

and invites the voices of individuals as well as the group (Palmer, 2007, p76).

For the duration of my online studies, my learning space is a comfortable and

efficient home office. My goal as an educator, however, is to have a space that I can adapt to the

needs of students through successful placement of seating, lighting, and other resources that

allow students to learn at their best. The classrooms that I remember most are those that are the

least sterile and most welcoming -- visually stimulating, perhaps with music playing -- I aim to

duplicate these vivid scenarios. More importantly than providing physical spaces that welcome

learners, educators must provide environments that holistically welcome each person, regardless

of whether these spaces are physical or virtual. Surprisingly, I have found my online courses to
be tremendously welcoming and thought provoking. It is different from what I know, or

expected, but it works. The community is caring and the leadership supportive.

The Courage to Teach tells us that studying technique is a part of the process of

becoming a teacher. If we teach by technique alone, however, neither the student nor the teacher

will find success. Parker Palmer emphasizes that the sum of who we are is far more important

that the content of our resumes. I believe Palmers goal of providing readers with the knowledge

to teach from the inside out was achieved. As an author, he provided readers with the idea that

we need one another to be productive in the areas of passion, identity, fear, community, and

space.

To paraphrase Palmer, teachers must turn towards students rather than away from

them. Teachers must admit to the gaps between educators and learners, and be committed to

connecting them. Palmer emphasizes this idea by saying not only because you need me to help

you on your way, but also because I need your insight and energy to help renew my own life

(Palmer, 2007, p50). This passage exemplifies that educators and students are forces that rely

upon one another, much like the sun and the moon. I feel that reading Palmers work has

provided me with a deeper understanding of the continuum on which my identity and passion

falls. Through a deeper understanding of my personal and educational experiences, my

successes as student and future educator have been strengthened by The Courage to Teach. I

am grateful to have read this book; my outlook on life and education can now be seen with more

clarity.
REFERENCES

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & education. (First Touchstone Ed, 1997).

New York, NY. Touchstone.

Kasworm, C & Rose, A, & Ross-Gordon, J. (2010).

Handbook of adult & continuing education. (2010 Ed). Thousand Oaks, CA
SAGE Publications.

Palmer, P. (2007). The courage to teach -Exploring the inner landscapes of a teachers
life. (10th Ed). San Francisco, CA. JosseyBass.

Websites:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/courage?s=t
https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Palmer