School of Education, Southern Oregon University
Ashland, Oregon USA
How is Your Soul Today? Teaching and Learning in the Thin Places of the Classroom
Abstract
The inherently spiritual act of teaching suggests a responsibility to prepare
oneself each day to enter the sacred space of the classroom and to lead with head, heart,
and soul. This presentation outlines a holistic pedagogy that brings self-development
to the forefront of teacher education. Through a series of short exercises, participants
in this session will have a chance to directly experience some of the methods and
concepts at the core of this approach. These example scan serve as reminders that
there are important reasons for balancing information and critical thinking with deeper
personal encounters. The pedagogy offers a model for working with students and
future teachers so they may develop and learn within an emotionally open and loving
classroom that invites forth the best qualities in one’s self and each other.