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Palmer Personal Reflection Paper Samuel M. Levinson

2 Parker J. Palmers The Courage To Teach is an enlightening book in regards to teaching and ! think that the "isdom he shares ma# be applied to man# teaching situations. ! think that part of becoming a teacher and as e$pressed b# Palmer begins "ith having a passion for teaching "ith kno"ledge that "e seek to share "ith students. %his is a method of shaping an educated generation of students and in the process the "orld ma# be changed "ith an increase in individuals "ith the proper skills education and productive ideas. ! think that a part of teaching students involves understanding "ho the# are including their goals and "hat the# seek to learn. %he reason for this is so that the instructor can better assist the student and also an# areas of misunderstanding ma# be addressed in order to assure the ma$imum learning potential. &s Palmer tells us "e are teaching the student based on "ho "e are. %his allo"s instructors to educate students "ith their o"n personal teaching st#le. ! do not think that t"o teachers are alike even if it is the same class or sub'ect matter. ! feel that "e all have our o"n goals and motivation in teaching including "hat "e "ould like to contribute to education and to our students. Personall# ! "ould like to have the best understanding possible in regards to teaching and also in regards to the sub'ect that ! "ill teach. %here are man# possibilities as far as sub'ects to teach ho"ever some classes ! have thought about teaching involve "riting and also communications. %hese are areas of interest to me but ! do not "ant to limit m#self. %o further elaborate on Palmer ! think he is e$ploring "ho "e are as teachers or as

individuals "ho seek to teach. %his ma# be a part of e$ploring our o"n "a# of thinking

( and also as a "a# for self)improvement. %hree areas of e$ploration of the teachers individual self)relate to the intellectual the emotional and the spiritual aspects. !n learning about the *ualities of teaching and the best methods of ho" to teach "e also learn about "ho "e are as individuals. Palmer "rites about a communit# of truth and it is e$plained that in order to "ork and communicate properl# "ith others that "e first have to understand ourselves. %o kno" ourselves and in order to perfect areas of our understanding "e should seek to criticall# reflect on "hat "e kno" and our beliefs. %ruth and evidence as it relates to a variet# of topics is important in changing ideas and also adding to the kno"ledge that "e alread# have. +or almost an# topic more kno"ledge leads to a better understanding. ! think this is a part of teaching in that for the class that one teaches an instructor is increasing student understanding and allo"ing them to form ne" ideas and *uestions. Student *uestions ma# be ans"ered through communication and assignment and upon finding the ans"ers greater bonds of kno"ledge are created. %his communit# that Palmer tells us about is shaped through teaching. ,ithout education "e can not have a communit# "here "e understand each other. %hree t#pes of communit# discussed are therapeutic civic and also marketing models. %he communit# as far as m# understanding is improved through education. ,ithout education "e ma# not even kno" "hat needs to be improved. -ducation allo"s us to progress in thinking and to make needed improvements. !t also helps us to enhance our abilities and to meet

goals "orking to our full potential. %his communit# of truth if "e e$plore it from a therapeutic standpoint involves a love of teaching. %his is basicall# a love for kno"ledge

. and in some respects for helping students to learn. &s teachers "e "ant our students to be successful and "e "ant them to gro". !f a student does not meet goals or if the# fail to meet re*uirements then the# have not progressed. /pon completion of ever# assignment and of ever# task the student should be gro"ing and increasing in their o"n abilities. Students "ho are informed and more educated on a topic reflect upon the teacher. & successful teacher "ith motivated students "ill be able to have the satisfaction of kno"ing that the# helped students to understand concepts and to kno" that students "ho complete the class no" have an increase in kno"ledge as "ell as an understanding that the student previousl# did not have. 0n the topic of truth Palmer e$plains to us that it is a conversation that is eternal about a sub'ect that matters and that "e approach it "ith passion. %hose "ho teach should be the leaders in their field. !t is their responsibilit# to bring forth the truth in a classroom. %he teacher should al"a#s be approachable and the# should have an understanding of all of their students. &s teaching ma# be a form of interacting "ith a communit# ! can understand Palmers e$ploration of a therapeutic e$perience and that it is on an emotional level. %he classroom ma# serve as a communit# of learners "ith the teacher as a leader and as a responsible individual "ho assists the learners in gro"ing and meeting their o"n needs. ! feel that the instructor structures the classroom and provides direction

b# helping to assure a productive learning environment. ,ith teaching there is an impact of productivit# for the communit# of truth that Palmer describes. %eachers should focus on material that is meaningful. ! think that this is relevant to a

1 class that is being taught based on the sub'ect matter. &s Palmer e$plains a teacher should have the discipline to e$plain material to students in "a#s that assure student understanding. ! feel that part of teaching is communication. %he teacher must properl# communicate lectures and information on a sub'ect but it is the responsibilit# of the student to understand this material and to be an active leaner. ,e ma# all be active learners both in the classroom and outside of it. ,hat "e seek to learn ma# var# based on our past e$periences our o"n interests goals and perhaps our understanding of "here "e are in life based on current needs. !n this communication process the student should engage in discussions and ask *uestions. &nother part of this communication involves diversit# creative conflict ambiguit# honest# humilit# and freedom of thought. Students are individuals "ho ma# not all learn in the same "a#. !t seems that Palmer embraces the important *ualities of teachers and of the concepts that are important to the classroom. 2e e$plains that teachers should have the need to gro" and to further develop their o"n identit#. ! think this ma# come from e$perience and age. Someone "ho is ne" to teaching probabl# does not have the same outlook as a more e$perienced teacher. !n this "a# of thinking the teacher is perfecting their abilities and becoming increasingl# mature as it relates to the profession. Palmer e$plains that identit# is made of diverse forces. %his makes sense to me as it ma# be a variet# of

factors that shape our uni*ue personalities. Reacting to these forces "ould bring about integrit#. ! feel that ! have understood this but Palmer e$plains it in a ne" "a# that seems to be even more meaningful. %he teacher ma# also be a mentor to students. Palmer e$plains that it is not the mentors kno"ledge that is the greatest but that it is instead the

3 mentors sense of self that "e perceive. %his is thought provoking and ! believe it is true. %he reason for this in m# opinion is because "e ma# choose a mentor based on ho" "e feel about them. %he benefit from the mentor is in the form of ho" "e are developing. ! do not think that one "ould "ant to become their mentor but the# ma# seek to find their o"n identit# based on "hat the# have learned from them. %his "ould seem to relate to teaching in that students learn from the instructor and the# are inspired. 0n the topic of fear Palmer e$plains that it is po"erful and that is influences us. ,e ma# fear a challenge but ! think that through progress and determination "e ma# overcome challenges. 2e e$plains the communal t#pe of kno"ledge. %his "ould be a part of forming relationships through kno"ledge and understanding that our o"n uni*ue encounters have the po"er to change us. %his "ould seem to relate to learning from e$perience. &s in the situation of fear "e ma# learn from a bad e$perience. 2o"ever "e also learn from e$periences that "e perceive as good. So "hether or not the e$perience is vie"ed as a bad e$perience or a good e$perience "e are have learned from it and "e ma# make productive changes that lead to greater outcomes. ! think that "ith e$perience "e ma# learn "hat is helpful and "hat "orks and also "hat is not productive. %his "ould lead to reinforcing desired behaviors and actions as it relates to the future.

!n understanding the nature of ourselves Palmer reminds us that it is important to understand our o"n strengths and "eaknesses. %his is essential to understand as "e can "ork to improve in areas "e are "eak in and also to strengthen strong areas. Perhaps if one sub'ect is our strong area and "e have an interest in it "e should speciali4e in a specific area. ! think this "ould also be true of students in that the# have strengths and 5 "eaknesses. & teacher should "ork to discover student strengths and "eaknesses and to help them as it relates to overcoming problems. %his ma# relate to discussion as the instructor should promote the development of ideas in the classroom. ! think this is helpful in the learning process. %hrough discussion "e ma# also learn about ourselves. ,e ma# also reali4e areas that need to be improved and areas in "hich "e are strong as students. ! feel that Palmer e$presses that all students are e*ual and all voices should be heard in order for ever#one to have the same opportunities and also for ever#one to learn from each other. ! also think this ma# be related to the communit# of truth that Palmer tells us about. 0f all topics the information should be relevant and meaningful to the students. ,hen a student completes a class it should be a teacher goal to have a sense of accomplishment that material has been e$plained and presented in a manner that the student has gro"n. %herefore "ith the teaching methods that are helpful to students and "ith a kno"ledgeable instructor the classroom should be a productive environment. Palmer e$plains that the best classrooms focus on the sub'ect as opposed to a teacher or student)centered learning environment. !t "ould seem that the instructor "ould be advised to construct assignments that reinforce the ke# concepts of a sub'ect. &n interesting part of this topic that Palmer e$plains is that the instructor is dependent on the

students. %his "ould seem to make sense in that for the instructor to successfull# educate the students the# must demonstrate their understanding. &n instructor "ill not be able to help those to improve if the# do not kno" of the areas in need of improvement. ! feel that this "ould be a t#pe of dialogue bet"een instructors and students.

6 !n conclusion ! believe that Palmer e$plains to us a process of self)discover# related to teaching. Palmer e$plains to us that teaching is a passion and that one should have an appreciation for learning. Part of this passion for teaching "ould seem to involve seeking to improve the lives of students. %hrough education one has greater opportunities as far as their standard of living emplo#ment and also ones happiness. 7hoosing the profession of teaching should be taken seriousl#. %his involves taking charge in the classroom and also reali4ing the needs of the students. 2e tells us that in teaching "e "ill have good da#s and bad da#s. ! think that in good da#s "e reali4e the aspects of our original passion for teaching. !n bad da#s "e keep pursuing the goals "e have for ourselves and our students. %hrough all e$periences it is m# understanding that a teacher is gro"ing becoming a greater instructor. !t is e$plained that all areas of the teaching profession should be embraced including areas of difficult#. %he teacher is a leader in a communit# of learners and the information that is obtained in education "ill shape the communit# be#ond the classroom.

8 References

Palmer Parker J. 92::5;. The Courage To Teach: Exploring The Inner Landscape of a Teachers Life. San +rancisco 7&< Josse#)=ass.