THE HIDDEN WHOLENESS: PARADOX IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

CHAPTER III THE HIDDEN WHOLENESS: PARADOX IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Palmer writes that we are trained to “think the world apart,” dissecting it into either-ors, but we need to learn to “think the world together,” embracing opposites and appreciating paradoxes. The principle of paradox can guide us in thinking about classroom dynamics—and in designing a teaching and learning space that can hold the community of truth.

I.              In what ways have you experienced “suffering” as a student teacher? Has your suffering had any redemptive quality to it; that is, has it made you heart larger? What would help you deepen the redemptive quality of the suffering your experience in your work?

I have experienced many difficult experiences that have led to suffering on my part. Teaching is a very difficult task that requires a lot of determination to be carried out. I have gone through suffering in many situations; for example, when my students misbehave and do not pay attention to me, I become extremely angry. It makes me suffer; however, I perfectly know that it is not appropriate to show them my anger. I get angry although my relational nature often keeps me from expressing my anger in clean and open ways (The Courage to Teach, Chapter III, Page 72). I have come to know that this suffering that I experience while teaching is pure evidence that I am alive. As a result, I have free myself from that kind of suffering and it has made my heart larger towards teaching because I focused more on my gifts rather than in my suffering.

 I think that I may use different methods and techniques that work successfully for my students as well as for me. This will help me to deepen the redemptive qualities of my suffering because by doing so I will be more likely to put in practice my gifts as a teacher. To learn that lesson well, I must take a solitary journey into my own nature and seek the help of others in seeing myself as I am (The Courage to Teach, Chapter III, page 73)

II.            Name some of your key gifts or strengths as a teacher.  Now name a struggle or difficulty you commonly have in teaching. How do you understand the relation between your profile of giftedness and the kind of trouble you typically get into in the classroom?

Every strength is also a weakness, a limitation, a dimension of identity that serves me and others well under some circumstances but not all the time. (The Courage to Teach, Chapter III, page 71)

As we go through the path of life we learn to recognize our strengths and weaknesses as well in whatever we do. Teaching is a very complex task yet highly rewarding. We, who teach, must be aware of our gifts and weaknesses in this field. Personally, I consider that one of my gifts as a teacher is to be always open to my students’ opinions. I am always willing to hear attentively to what they have to say so that they can feel accepted and important in the classroom. 2) The capacity to establish my objectives clearly and the flexibility to a variety of ways of achieving them is also a gift that I, as a teacher, posses. When I start a lesson I have previously established the direction where I want to conduct my class, and if for one reason or another, things do not work the way I had expected in the class, I look for new ways to achieve my goals even If I had to change almost everything that I have planned. I do not give up easily. 3) The desire to engage my students in the class activities is another gift. I always try to look for new techniques in order to make them active participants so that they contribute to build their own knowledge. 4) The capacity to get my students to connect the academic contents with the real life is one of my greatest gifts. When I teach a lesson, I always try to relate it with real experiences so that they can get meaningful and relevant learning to their lives. 5) I am open towards my students’ needs by being friendly but not friend with them.  I think it is very important to know my students very well because in that way I can look for new techniques in order to enhance their learning.

To catch my students’ attention is one of the struggle or difficulties that I commonly face while teaching. Sometimes, the class goes out of control and it is very difficult for me to get my students to pay attention to what I am saying. I think that one of the reasons is that my voice is very soft and that’s why they do not pay attention to me. I tend to speak very low especially when I am dealing with large groups. However, I consider that this doesn’t have to hinder the learning process because as I mentioned above I always try to look for new techniques in order to engage my students in the class activities. I don´t have to let this kind of difficulties be greater than my strengths. 

III.           Describe a moment in teaching when things went so well you knew you were “born to teach” and compare it to a moment in which things went so poorly you wished you had never been born! Name the gifts that made this good moment possible—not the techniques you used or the moves you made, but your qualities.

I have a fond memory of the time I taught High School students. I remember that we were dealing with the Simple Past Tense. I wanted them to relate this grammatical structure with their own lives. So, I asked them to think about a fond memory of their childhood. Then, I asked them to form pairs so that they could share their experiences. Next, I asked them to form small groups of three so that they could know about their classmates’ childhood. I could perceive that they were eager to share their experiences with their classmates. When I asked for volunteers to past to the front to share their experiences, I saw that most of them wanted to participate.  So I gave them the opportunity to share their own experience and what they had heard from their classmates. Everybody was paying attention to what his classmate had to say.  We had a good time because some of their experiences were very funny. I noticed that they liked this kind of activities. I felt so satisfied that I said to myself I was definitely born to teach. Therefore, I agree with Palmer on his take “Becoming aware of our gifts can help us teach more consistently from our identity and integrity” (The Courage to Teach, Chapter III, page 69) When we as teachers perfectly know which our strengths are, we can make a better use of them. As a result, teaching will become more rewarding for us.

This experience with my Junior High School students was completely different from the one I had while teaching Junior High School. I perfectly remember that day. I entered the classroom, and I noticed that they were making too much noise. So, I told them to be quiet because the class was going to start but they did not listen to me. Then, I asked them to make silence in a polite way, and they stopped making noise. I wanted to develop a warm-up activity with them in order that they could get familiarize with the kind of vocabulary we were going to study. I asked them to form two lines but everything went wrong because they started to shout, whistle and to push one another. I asked them to stop but they did not listen to me. One of the boys told me that they didn’t like English classes and that they thought that starting the class with a game was too childish. So, I stopped the activity and began to deliver the lesson. However, they did not behave, and I couldn’t get them to participate in the class. They were doing other things, and some of them were saying nasty words. I felt so angry and so disappointed that I even wanted to cry, but I knew that I couldn’t do that in front of my students.  I think that that has been the worst experience I have ever face while teaching.

I think that my experience with High School students was so memorable because I made use of the gifts I posses as a teacher.  I think that showing them that I was interested in listening what they were saying contributed to form a secure environment in which they could talked about their experiences without fear. They felt confident because they knew that I was not going to judge them, and I was open towards their experiences. Also, I got them to connect the content with the real life because I was willing to share my own experience. In that way, they felt more at ease to participate. Moreover, I tried to show them an attitude of acceptance towards them.

IV.          Palmer discusses six paradoxes of pedagogical design (pp.73-83). Choose one to focus on.  Share examples of teaching environments you have experienced where this paradox is honored. 

The space should be hospitable and charged.

Sometimes, we may find the experience of space a little strange. Besides, we may have the fear of getting lost. Learning spaces need to be hospitable ‘inviting as well as open, safe and reliable as well as free’. When exploring we need places to rest and find sustenance. But if students feel too safe, they may fall in their comfort zone. Space needs to be charged so that they know the risks involved in looking at the deeper aspects of life. No special effects are required for creating this charge- it comes with the territory. We only need fenced the space, fill it with topics of significance, and refuse to let anyone evade or trivialize them (The Courage to Teach, Chapter III, page 75).

I have experienced teaching environments in which this paradox has been honored during my High School teaching practicum. The students, in this case the guests were sitting in a U shape so that everybody could face each other and could listen to the different opinions that may arise in the classroom. In this way, they found a safe and inviting learning environment. They felt that they are equally important in the classroom. I remember that we were dealing with past habits. I showed some pictures to them and they started giving their opinions about what they saw in the picture. Everybody had the opportunity to participate in the activity. In this way, the environment was hospitable because they felt free to participate. Also, it was charged because they had to be paying attention to the pictures I was showing in order to give their opinion. They were actively engaged in the class. I think that this paradox was fully honored.

 Have you ever been in a classroom where only half of the paradox was honored while the other half was ignored? Describe what that classroom was like.

Sometimes, this paradox cannot be completely honored due to many factors that may occur in a class. I remember that once I was developing an activity. I had prepared many tasks for them to be completely engaged in the class. However, it was a failure because the environment was not hospitable. I realized that they were extremely tired and bored. The tension could be felt in the air. I asked them what was happening and some of them told me that they had just finished a very difficult test from another subject. It was almost impossible to get them to be engaged in the class because they were distracted or doing some other things. The class was boring and frustrating because I couldn’t achieve what I wanted.

V.           What questions are you living at this stage of your life—from “How can I get up in the morning? To “How can I become a good teacher? Are the questions you are now living the ones you want to live? If not, what questions would you like to be living? How might you hold these questions at the center of your attention?

I think that questions are present in every day of our lives. The questions that I am living right now are:

·         How can start the day positively?

·         How can I meet my immediate goals? 

·         What can I do in order to improve my level of English?

·         How can I better my teaching skills?

·         What techniques can I use in order to better my language skills?

·         How can I deliver the lessons in a more effective way?

·         How can I get my students to be engaged in my classes?

·         Am I giving my best in order to achieve my goals?

·         Am I going to reach what I want?

These are the questions I am living right now, and they are the questions that I want to live at this point in my life. I consider that by asking them to myself I become aware of what I need to do in order to find the answers. Moreover, they are important questions that will help me to become a better teacher.

I think that I can hold these questions in the center of my attention by having clear objectives and by setting specific goals. I have to be conscious that I will be highly benefited by answering these questions. Moreover, I have to work hard in order to obtain what I want.