Category: Parker Palmer

Bound to Break

As a student, the Parker Palmer post reminds me that there is so much that is connected and intertwined with the class work that we do and the work that the teachers do. This connectedness reaches out past the student and teacher and beyond the school. It flows into the families of the students and teachers and into the community. teaching and learning can be like a weed that runs rampant into the fields and crops. This spreading, however, can be a positive thing because it encourages others that interact with the learning to do the same thing.

There are teachers that I’ve had in the past that remind me of this passage from Palmer. Mrs. Kent from high school put in a lot for her students and it went beyond what was expected of her. She had done so much over the years that I’m sure her heart was pulled and broken many times.

In the future, I hope to tie together the students that I work with and the school and community that they are from. I know that I am bound to break my heart from the work that will be going into the students and the students that will affect me emotionally.

True to Yourself Teaching

Parker Palmer Response

As we get closer to entering into our teaching careers it is important to recognize our sense of self. As a student this requires a lot of reflection, which we have done quite a bit of in our multicultural class, but we can still delve deeper. This article says great educators teach who they are and they are true to themselves. When you are true to yourself you radiate an energy and passion that is contagious and empowering to others no matter the subject material.

I had one teacher (eg. the Bill Nye-ish one mentioned in class) that was the epitome of true to himself. There was never a dull moment in is organized chaotic classroom. His passion for learning extended to every subject and we were sponges in his presence soaking in everything he had to offer. That single school year we dissected fish, frogs and pigs, cleaned sealion bones for display at the Sealife Center, spent an entire day in virtual space at the Challenger Center, performed the Christmas Story drama, built bridges of tooth picks and glue, hosted the science fair, did a living wax museum, and published a book of short stories on Seward’s history, along with fulfilling all the curriculum and standardized testing requirements. He taught us by being himself and ultimately set the stage for me to become a teacher.

It really saddens me when teachers think they have to put on an act for their students, its easier to burn out when you have to fake a passion or your interest in a subject. Its also easy for students to spot fakes and they are sensitive and don’t respect fake people.

So long post short, my take away from Parker Palmer is be true to yourself in your teaching and you will be much happier and more successful than if you try to be something you’re not.

Ride Together, Thrive Together

The passage selected by Scott from Palmer hits a chord that we have mentioned as a class several times. In my eyes, this passage speaks to the vulnerability that we open ourselves up to as teachers. But vulnerability does not stop there. The moment a student enters into the classroom(whether the student is ours or is ourself), they/we are vulnerable to the activities of the environment. The student is open and exposed to the potential of judgement, prejudice, frustration, embarrassment, anxiety, fear, excitement, eagerness, happiness, joy, and love. The best teachers are the ones that recognize the vast array emotions and experiences that their classroom presents everyone, but they manipulate that space to be of caring and fostering so that a family is formed.

Self-Care & the Heart of Teaching

“We need to open a new frontier in our exploration of good teaching: the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. To chart that landscape fully, three important paths must be taken–intellectual, emotional, and spiritual–and none can be ignored.” (Palmer, pg. 1)

This quote stood out to me because I noticed a connection between how Palmer defines a good teacher and how many social workers define a self-care plan. Self-care plans typically include a focus on the mind, body, spirit, and emotional parts of us. Professionals in “helping” fields like: health care, law enforcement, advocacy, teaching, etc.; are taught self-care practices because they are exposed to trauma, sometimes primary and sometimes secondary. I used to work with domestic violence and sexual assault advocates to remind them about the importance of self-care and to discuss their own strengths and coping skills. During workshops on the topic, advocates would be asked to think about the different parts of their lives that uplifted them, nurtured them, or simply made them feel happy and healthy. What does that look like in education?

I found it really interesting that Palmer identified good teaching as someone who, in essence, practices self-care. Someone who knows themselves well. Palmer stresses that we must find balance both inside and outside of the classroom and that the best teachers remain present, engaged and curious.

The challenges we face as teachers are sometimes amplified by the many challenges our students face everyday before, during and after school. For me, my biggest fear is that I will care too much. This essay helped remind me that I will care too much and that it will be okay. My teaching does not have to be stagnant, but it does have to inspire my students and make them feel confident. Creating an engaging classroom requires me to be excited about teaching and interested in my student’s learning process. To do all that, I have to take care of myself.

By choosing integrity, I become more whole, but wholeness does not mean perfection. It means becoming more real by acknowledging the whole of who I am. (Palmer, pg. 4)

(More info on self-care: Webinar slides from the Native Wellness Institute on Self-Care and self-care tools and information visit the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.)

Parker Palmer

I would love to be able to tell a story of success and idolatry but that never happened in my formative years growing up and going to school in this town (Juneau). I can never say that any of my teachers connected with me on the level spoken of and encouraged in the Parker Palmer reading. Some of my teachers had a few of those traits, but it wasn’t consistently shared with everyone. I understand that in large classes, there are a lot of middle of the road students that seem to do well enough academically, that they do not “need” the attention that the best students need or the struggling students require. My saving grace was that I knew how to read and was able to decode instruction most of the time. Due to that, I was often invisible to the eyes of my educators. There were times during cultural events and history months that I may have gotten some extra attention, but that was not what I needed as a student.

My favorite teacher experiences didn’t happen until many years later when I was in college and able to focus my field of study into an area that I liked and found personal meaning for. Dr. Jamal Martin, known to his students as Dr. J, is my favorite teacher. I can only imagine the level of success I may have encountered sooner in life if I had had a positive mentor like him while I was growing up. He was a professor in the Africana Studies program and even though he would be lecture heavy, the information that he would share would be necessary for our survival in the world. I can appreciate the value of knowledge and how it can be used to dismantle institutions that have historically held people’s hearts, minds, and bodies captive. He would give us projects that would force our research further and show us the importance of knowledge and the role that it has played in the survival of people worldwide. I appreciate him because my input and research was always valued and welcomed. He understood what it meant to be a single mother of color in the US trying to go to school and make a better life for herself and her child. He never judged me for taking the time that I might need to contemplate the information we may have researched or to complete a project.

I plan to be a teacher much like Dr. J and to create a space where my students feel valued and that they know they are successful in. My students will not be invisible. That will be my super power.

Weaving the classroom: Woodshop and P.E.

The passage seems to be geared more towards inspiring teachers, but to me, as a student, the passage is interpreted as being part of a creation. Each student is a section of the fabric that will eventually be so well-knitted that the final product is a masterpiece. As a student, it makes me believe that each person in my class is part of this product and I need to do my part to make sure each person knows their value and their importance.

I have had a few teachers that show this type of mindset. I don’t believe that it was an intentional mindset, but they have it nonetheless. They weave community within their class that is based on common rules that each person in the class deems important. I was in a P.E. class where there was the normal competition between individuals or teams, but each person was encouraged by everyone on their team or by everyone spectating. There were some people that were naturally competitive and wanted to win, but for the most part everyone was excepting. The teacher didn’t keep score. Even if it was obvious which team was winning, there would be no official score to verify.

My high school years were similar. Most people switched which electives they selected, but I took woodshop, metals, and physical training every year. For woodshop and metals, there was a beginners class, then the second semester was intermediate. After a year of woods, students that wish to make their independent projects would continue in Advanced woods I, then Advanced woods II, etc. I did wood shop every semester through high school, even though one of those semesters I changed to do basic construction. Anyway, When I got up to a high enough level I was a teachers assistant, off the books, so I would get a full credit compared to half of a credit (which TA’s normally got). The woodshop was a relatively safe place. There were some accidents, but everyone in each of my classes were willing to help those that needed help. It felt like a family or a tight-knit group of individuals that worked together to build their own pieces of furniture. If every person in the class worked together, by the end of the semester there would be furniture to fill a two bedroom house. It would contain a dining table, a coffee table, four chairs for the dining table, a few lamp stands, a book shelf or two, a TV stand or two, and even a desk. We worked together to make each piece of furniture into a masterpiece.

Heart of a Teacher

“Heart of a Teacher” by Parker Palmer is an enthusing article. I don’t disagree with anything he wrote in this piece. His article basically encourages an individual to be him/herself while teaching. Becoming a good teacher requires countless hours of trying to find one’s self and finding different techniques to connect with different types of students. Like Palmer said, “knowing my students and my subject depends heavily on self-knowledge. When I do not know myself, I cannot know who my students are.” An individual definitely needs to be honest and create a safe space where they are able to trust anybody about their struggles. Palmer quoted that “not all spaces can be safe, not all relationships trustworthy, but we can surely develop more of them than we now have so that an increase of honesty and healing can happen within us and among us”. Teachers aren’t the supernatural people who are able to painlessly get up in front of the class and have a smooth talk. To become a great teacher, one must learn through trial and error just like all the other professions.

Heart of a Teacher and today’s class reminded of all the teachers I’ve had throughout my life. I’ve had many great teachers. But those who usually stand out for me are the ones that not only cared about me, but also made a difference in many of my classmates’ lives. My motivation to make a difference occurred with my 9th grade geography teacher. She was stern, but she deeply cared about everyone in the classroom. She was able to clearly present some numbers that were eye opening. Her tone was negative when she was doing her lecture, but the message she shared was the most encouraging for me. I’ve also had other teachers who were inspirational in different ways. Other teachers that come to mind are my 10th grade English teacher and 11th grade US history teacher. Their classes were tough, but they’re the classes that prepared their students for college. Most of my family members didn’t believe I was able to graduate from college, but my high school teachers did. My high school teachers informed that if I was working as hard as I am in their classes, I’d surely graduate from college. Whenever I thought about giving up, I’d remember my 9th grade teacher who asked us whether we are going to contribute to the dropout rate or graduate. I’d remember my history and English teachers who had faith in me. I still get inspired today whenever I’m having a tough time.

css.php