The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life, 10th Anniversary Edition (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: good talk about good teaching, undivided life, capacity for connectedness, Rosa Parks, Culture of Fear, The Hidden Wholeness (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A profoundly moving, utterly passionate, and inspired articulation of the call to, and the pain and joy of, teaching. It is must reading for any and every teacher, at any level. --Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are

A teacher, speaker and writer who contends that teaching is an integral part of all his work, Palmer now explores the spirituality of teaching....Palmer lays bare his own struggles in engaging prose, and his book is sure to inspire the educational community to think in new ways about its tasks. --Publishers Weekly

Recommended for all teachers, this book would be a valuable addition to professional and teacher education collections. --Library Journal --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Description

"This book is for teachers who have good days and bad — and whose bad days bring the suffering that comes only from something one loves. It is for teachers who refuse to harden their hearts, because they love learners, learning, and the teaching life." — Parker J. Palmer [from the Introduction]

For many years, Parker Palmer has worked on behalf of teachers and others who choose their vocations for reasons of the heart but may lose heart because of the troubled, sometimes toxic systems in which they work. Hundreds of thousands of readers have benefited from his approach in THE COURAGE TO TEACH, which takes teachers on an inner journey toward reconnecting with themselves, their students, their colleagues, and their vocations, and reclaiming their passion for one of the most challenging and important of human endeavors.

This book builds on a simple premise: good teaching cannot be reduced to technique but is rooted in the identity and integrity of the teacher. Good teaching takes myriad forms but good teachers share one trait: they are authentically present in the classroom, in community with their students and their subject. They possess "a capacity for connectedness" and are able to weave a complex web of connections between themselves, their subjects, and their students, helping their students weave a world for themselves. The connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts — the place where intellect, emotion, spirit, and will converge in the human self — supported by the community that emerges among us when we choose to live authentic lives.

BONUS: Includes an audio CD featuring a 45-minute conversation between Parker Palmer and his colleagues, Marcy Jackson and Estrus Tucker from the Center for Courage & Renewal. They reflect on what they have learned from working with thousands of teachers in their "Courage to Teach" program (www.CourageRenewal.org)and with others who yearn for greater integrity in their professional lives.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 10 edition (August 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787996866
• ISBN-13: 978-0787996864
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,051 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone Who Teaches Deserves This Book!, August 17, 2007

By	Robert A. Wood "chip" (New England,USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Do you have a favorite teacher? Someone who is working overtime to inspire your children? Someone who adds meaning to your life? Or perhaps you are a teacher who needs some deep inspiration and healing. This book is for all of us. For ten years Parker Palmer's writing has been the most powerful word-of-mouth best seller on the market. Don't wait to add it to your library! Chip Wood, M.S.W., Elementary Principal, Co-Founder, Responsive Classroom

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great companion to the book, March 6, 2008

By	Sally Hare "distinguished professor emerita, ... (South Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Courage to Teach Guide for Reflection and Renewal, 10th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

The Courage to Teach Guide is a wonderful companion to the tenth anniversary edition for The Courage to Teach. The accompanying DVD is an incredible bonus... I loved hearing Parker in his own words. Whether you want to use the book with a group or just use it for your own growth and renewal, the guide offers many wonderful suggestions.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transformative Ideas for All Teachers, March 4, 2008

By	Margaret Golden "Associate Professor of Educa... (San Rafael, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Parker Palmer's wisdom is invaluable to all who teach. His ideas are both profound and revolutionary. The Courage to Teach leads us on an exploration of the paradoxes inherent in our living and our teaching. We are encouraged to "cultivate the capacity for connectedness on which all good teaching depends." Parker's words inspire us to live and teach authentically, and invite our students to do the same. This book is a must read for all who struggle to teach in a way that opens students' hearts, as well as their minds.