Monday, September 03, 2007

Ready or Not, Here I Teach!

The day has finally arrived. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The school year starts tomorrow with yours truly in the classroom as a student teacher. I have the wonderful opportunity to be under the tutelage of a great social studies teacher and am truly thrilled. Student teaching doesn't come without its apprehensions though. The voices of doubt and fear rear their ugly heads in the quiet moments. Will students like me? Will they learn? Can I really teach? Will my colleagues like and affirm me? Can I handle this? You'd think the self doubt would have subsided after high school or college. Yet we all want to do well in our vocation; to excel at what we are called to do in our lives. A book that spoke volumes to me this summer as I have attempted to prepare my heart and mind for teaching is Parker J. Palmer's The Courage to Teach. Parker's take on teaching is so much more than lesson plans, best practice, and classroom management. Parker reminds us that the core of our being is where we teach from. And if our 'insides' are at an imbalance, we will teach out of that, profoundly effecting the students. Parker's book is so encouraging because he connects teaching with the spiritual and ties it into something so otherworldly. Thank you Mr. Palmer.

"There are no formulas for good teaching, and the advice of experts has but marginal utility. If we want to grow in our practice, we have two primary places to go: to the inner ground from which good teaching comes and to the community of fellow teachers from whom we can learn more about ourselves and our craft" -- Parker J. Palmer

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

AC- I was just thinking of you this morning and actually mentioned to Kirsten that you started student teaching this week. I know that you will be a great teacher, you are already. All you have to do is implement your giftings into the "system" which will be the easy part- the hard part is aquiring the gift of teaching, which as mentioned, you have. God bless.

7:39 AM  

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