As good teachers weave the fabric that joins them with students and subjects, the heart is the loom on which the threads are tied, the tension is held, the shuttle flies, and the fabric is stretched tight. Small wonder, then, that teaching tugs at the heart, opens the heart, even breaks the heart – and the more one loves teaching, the more heartbreaking it can be. The courage to teach is the courage to keep one’s heart open in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able so that teacher and students and subject can be woven into the fabric of community (kula) that learning, and living, require.”
~ Parker J. Palmer
What does this passage mean to you as a student? In your experience as a middle school or high school student was there a teacher who enacted this kind of compassionate teaching? Was there a teacher who you connected with in this way? Tell a story that reflects your beliefs about this passage.
