I’ve always loved teaching– I find it to be mysterious, creative, and beautiful. Elliot Eisner (eloquently) puts words to my own experience: “Teaching is an activity whose [best] efforts result in what the fine arts are intended to provide: a heightened consciousness and aesthetic experience. “ “Teaching is an artistically pervaded activity. It provides [ Read more … ]
getting messy
5 ways to navigate uncertainty and learning
We learn when we connect with something in a way that holds meaning for us, we learn. Here’s how to navigate the uncertainty. 1. identify what interests you 2. show up and be present 3. practice discernment 4. stay true to yourself 5. trust yourself. trust the process. Learning is courageous because it takes us [ Read more … ]
Questions that inspire critical thinking
CRITICAL THINKING is often confused with finding things to disagree with. Perhaps the word “critical” is what gets in our way. Actually, critical thinking is more about depth: critical thinkers look under issues and state truths that haven’t been spoken: What are the larger ramifications of this discussion? What are the motivations and belief systems [ Read more … ]
Making room for the creative
The creative process is innate to human life. We don’t need to make complicated plans to search for ideas. We simply need to make room for them to visit. The times I’ve been most unhappy with my teaching were the times that I didn’t allow enough of a pause. Instead, I rushed on to the [ Read more … ]
Holding the stance of “the one who knows” with a student or client creates a polarity. The other person now has something to defend against.
In his book, POWER IN THE HELPING PROFESSIONS, Jungian psychiatrist Adolf Guggenbuhl discusses how therapists, teachers, and medical practitioners create polarities with clients and students when they take on the role of “knower.” Jungian analyst John R. Haule calls this polarization a “split archetype.” A split archetype happens whenever we know “what is best” for [ Read more … ]