"When we learn how to teach, we must also consider what it will feel like to teach."
Chapter 11
In this chapter, readers understand how being a conscious teacher will move one from being a good teacher to a great teacher, who calmly, and with patience, looks upon situations with an air of empowerment instead of reacting and then subsequently holding that negative emotion. Readers are guided through the psychological theory of the inner child and are prompted to consider deep, introspective questions regarding their personal triggers and reasons behind their behaviors. This chapter is meant to get those who feel stuck completely and without doubt unstuck, so they can begin to love teaching and serve as they were always meant to serve.
Questions:
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When you consider the questions provided in the chapter, which one(s) do you most identify? What are you learning about yourself based on these questions?
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The inner child is a psychological theory that teaches us about our emotional state. When your inner child wants your attention, what emotions do you feel and where is that stress housed in your body? What do you typically do? After reading this far, what new strategy might you try?
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What in your teacher life signals awareness and conscious teaching vs. engaging in a situation unconsciously and with reactions? How can you continue to work towards conscious teaching, especially in the harder moments of your school day?
Resources:
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Inner Child Work: How Your Past Shapes Your Present »
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Embracing the conscious teaching approach: empowering elementary educators »
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Quotes:
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“Vulnerability is not inferiority.”
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“For teachers, the goal is to become a conscious person, who is also a conscious teacher.”
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“What emotionally affects us in our personal lives will somehow and some way come to us in our teaching lives.”
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“Recognizing and accepting our shadows and then working through them may seem like personal work, but it’s also part of teaching. It has always been. We just haven’t yet seen it this way.”
“If you are the type of teacher who wants to teach and who enjoys teaching, but you keep experiencing tough situations that upend you, it is imperative you find what works for you.”
