Communities For Learning

As midterm arrives, teachers can use the brief respite for reflection. Good teaching is not a collection of techniques mechanically applied but a matter of personal work. Taking time out to re-collect our thoughts mid-way through the semester can help restore the deeper sense of direction we necessarily bring to our teaching.

These tips are drawn from Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach. His work is frequently noted for its recognition of the profoundly personal nature of college teaching. The CIRT has several copies of his book available for loan.

The Inner Landscape

Palmer suggests that we think about teaching as a matter of who we are rather than what methods we use. Here are some points for reflection.

Why? Why did we become teachers? What is the source that animates us? What causes us to lose heart? What do we believe gives teaching integrity?

Mentors. Who were the great teachers we experienced? How are we like them? How can they still inspire us? How would they encourage us to re-work our current course?

Our Work. What was it about our subject that first spoke to us? How do we continue to find that initial interest? Can our students detect these feelings in our current work with them?

Our Fears. What fears prevent us from connecting with others or pursuing our teaching dreams? Fear of conflicts with peers? Fears of losing our identity? Fears that students don't care or won't try? Fears of not being absolutely right?

Connecting Contradictions

Palmer believes that we are often hindered by disconnection in our lives. Our culture encourages us to think in either-or terms rather than to recognize that we often need to address the tension that connects apparent contradictions. Consider how you can address the following tensions in your classroom.

Bounded/Open. How can your lesson be limited by the text or topic yet open to opinions and viewpoints? How can students be guided to speak freely, yet stay on the topic?

Hospitable/Charged. How can classrooms be safe places where students do not risk exposure or embarrassment, yet challenging enough to get students to take risks?

Individual/Group Voice. Does your class invite students to express authentic positions? Does it actively seek out common group wisdom about the variations in opinion?

Little/Big Stories. How do the little stories of students' lives connect with the big stories told by our disciplines? What are the points of connection built into our courses?

Solitude/Community. Do students know when and where they can learn in solitude as well as when and where they should join conversations that introduce ideas and test their thoughts?

Silence/Speech. Silence may mean more than disconnection. It may mean deeper connection. How do we balance opportunities for speaking and for silence?

For Palmer, the way we resolve these paradoxes defines key elements of our teaching approach. Ask the CIRT for a copy of his chapter on "Wholeness" to read about how he addresses these issues.

Creating Community

The heart of learning, in Palmer's view, depends on the creation of a community organized around practices of honest scholarship. How close do we come to sustaining this kind of community in our classrooms?

Subject-centered. Is your lesson focused on understanding the subject in deeper ways? Or, has it slipped into simple, dull treatments? Do lessons over-emphasize comfortable relations?

Great Things. Is the subject of the lesson a simple truth or a complex, profound one, requiring everyone to help understand it? How do we connect our lessons to the search for truth that draws us into conversation?

Scholarly Thinking. How do we help students learn to think like scholars in our field? Do we provide too many disembodied answers? Do they learn to observe, gather, analyze and interpret as part of a community of scholars?

Pedagogical Conversations. Finally, Palmer recommends that teachers must create community around the "great thing" called teaching and learning. How can we find others to discuss pedagogical subjects in scholarly ways? What leadership can we take in creating such a community?

Final Comments

While Parker Palmer's philosophy is surely not suited for all college teachers, he does raise important questions for reflection. Everyone on a college campus profits when we spend some time looking at the questions raised when our teaching ideals meet the challenges of every day practice. The CIRT has a library of books and articles to invigorate your reflections. Drop by and take a look.

This Teaching Tip was first published by Indiana State University’s, Center for Teaching and Learning on March 9, 1999.