Contemplative Teaching and Learning

EDITOR'S NOTES 1 Keith Kroll 1. The Case for a Contemplative Philosophy of Education 5 Rick Repetti This chapter introduces, illustrates, and explains how contemplative practices, contemplative studies, and contemplative pedagogy differ. It reviews the research in favor of contemplative education and argues that contemplative pedagogy is engaging and transformative for both students and faculty. 2. Community College as Liminal Space 17 Maria R. Lichtmann This chapter explores the potential of impasse the lack of good jobs, entrance into a four-year college, vocational direction to be a contemplative space for refl ection and transformation and the potential of the community college to turn impasse into invitation. 3. The Classroom Is a Sangha: Contemplative Education in the Community College 29 Robert Haight This chapter proposes that a contemplative approach to education has the potential to lessen student anxiety, increase student happiness, and prepare students to build a personal foundation. Contemplative practices can be infused into any course to help increase attention, concentration, awareness, and compassion toward oneself and others. 4. Waking Up to Ourselves: The Use of Mindfulness Meditation and Emotional Intelligence in the Teaching of Communications 39 Dan Huston Being present is necessary for communicating effectively. In this chapter, the author explains how he has been using mindfulness meditation to help students nurture this ability in his introductory communications classes, helping them develop emotional intelligence and altering neural pathways in the process. 5. Being Allowing and Yet Directive: Mindfulness Meditation in the Teaching of Developmental Reading and Writing 51 Kate Garretson This chapter describes aspects of contemplative practice that connect it with best practices in developmental reading and writing instruction, including classroom activities that engage students with both. 6. Contemplative Practices in Human Services Education 65 Jacqueline M. Griswold This chapter explores the correlation between stress and human services practice and discusses the ways in which contemplative practices can be incorporated as a critical component of human services education. 7. The Sound of Starting Where You Are: Contemplative Practice and Music Pedagogy 77 Matthew Ruby Shippee This chapter provides a firsthand account of the author's seven years of teaching community college music majors contemplative practice deeply integrated with conventional music pedagogy. Along with outlining a conceptual framework, he provides specifi c teaching examples based on experience designing and teaching Creative Musicianship, a course for music majors at his college. 8. Offering Reflection to an Organization 91 Ann Faulkner, Guy Gooding This chapter describes the experience of a multiple-campus community college district with refl ective practice as a form of professional development. 9. Vocatio: The Importance of Exploring an Ancient Concept for Community College Students 101 Clifford "Kip" Scott This chapter describes the author's experience of introducing the ancient concept of vocatio (or calling) to community college students in a first-semester mandatory course, Introduction to College Studies. 10. Contemplative Practice in the Classroom 111 Keith Kroll This chapter offers a summary of the contemplative practices discussed in the volume. INDEX 115