The Teaching Self

Reviews / Votes

Byrnes, Dalton, & Dorman have managed to achieve throughout their 3-volume, edited collection, ideas both practical and inspiring. They offer the reader great scope and depth in describing contemplative practices from a variety of settings and perspectives. Teacher educators will understand more deeply what contemplative education is, ways to incorporate its practices, and why it is so valuable in supporting teacher education students and practicing teachers. Throughout the chapters, they provide the tools for self-transformation through experiences that move the soul, awaken the heart, and strengthen pedagogical thinking. -- Sandra Finney PhD, author of "Strong Spirits, Kind Hearts," coauthor of "The Way of the Teacher" This book is a well-timed intervention in a historical moment in which disinformation can be proliferated as swiftly information, making the task of distinguishing truth from falsehood more difficult. The ability to discriminate truth from lies, wise from rash action and a predisposition to choose the former rather than the latter is the core of teaching. It requires more than logical analysis and reason can provide. Far from being practices of social disengagement, contemplative practices are more varied, scientific, and socially significant than conventional education has admitted; our need for them in education could not be greater. -- David Gall, associate professor, art education, UNC Charlotte, author of "Countering Modernity: Toward a Nondualist Basis for Art Education" In The Teaching Self, authors provide tools for connecting their professional lives as teachers to their inner lives through contemplative practices. These practices bring forth a whole person, an authentic, loving teacher who is fully "present" while educating today's students. This wholeness represents balance between the rational/analytical and the intuitive/emotional aspects of the teacher. This research is timely and relevant in our current, hurried world. -- Laurel H. Campbell, Purdue University Fort Wayne, co-editor of "The Heart of Art Education: Holistic Approaches to Creativity, Integration, and Transformation" Jane Dalton, Elizabeth Hope Dorman, and Kathryn Byrnes are to be commended for this vitally required three-volume series for the field of contemplative teacher education. At a time where, on a global scale, radical changes in K-12 curricula are occurring, these volumes are indeed welcome. Doubling down on instructional strategies, e-learning devices, and content expertise miss the point entirely: we need to attend to the inner lives of aspiring teachers so they in turn can foster a learning environment that honors both the interior and exterior world of students. -- Heesoon Bai, Laurie Anderson, and Charles Scott, program coordinators of Master of Education in Contemplative Inquiry and Approaches to Education, Simon Fraser University, Canada In an age where education is increasingly dominated by extrinsic forces (standards, accountability, etc.), this volume of thought-provoking essays offers an important counterpoint: the need for teachers to attend to their own intrinsic development as well as that of their students. Under the broad heading of contemplative pedagogy, the book addresses teachers in diverse contexts with a range of topics, including: cultural responsiveness in preservice teacher education, integrating the arts for personal transformation, developing empathy and authenticity, and the teacher's path to mindfulness. The book is a welcome addition to the literature on holistic education and reflective practice in schools. -- Seymour Simmons, Ed.D, professor of Fine Arts emeritus, Winthrop University, coeditor, The Heart of Art Education: Holistic Approaches to Creativity, Integration, and Transformation Contemplative Practices, Pedagogy, and Research in Education is a profound and crucial wake-up call in the field of education. A collection of brilliant insights-contemporary and historical-into the need for mind-body-spirit balance and how to accomplish that in today's varied teaching environments. These educators value "process over product," a real coup in a world that needs more authenticity. This is precisely the sort of revamping our educational systems need! -- Chris Saade, author of "Second Wave Spirituality: Passion for Peace, Passion for Justice" The Teaching Self is a must read for teacher educators and practicing teachers.
Given the enhanced focus on P-12 students' social and emotional learning, it is now time to attend to teachers' social and emotional learning. The essays in this collection do just that. The authors offer pointed and pithy ruminations, grounded in personal and professional experience. Individually they offer distinct entry points for a further exploration and understanding of our teaching selves. For those who struggle against a world harmful to children and teachers, these essays provide pathways to greater emotional awareness, durability, and meaningful change. -- Dan Liston, professor, University of Colorado at Boulder, coeditor, Teaching, Loving, and Learning: Reclaiming Passion in Educational Practice; coauthor, Reflective Teaching