I really liked this chapter. I liked Palmer’s focus, his critiques and his vision for community. A few thoughts…
“The therapeutic is the model most often implied when we use the word community (Palmer, 2007, p.92). Oh how this is especially true when we speak of community in the Christian context. My experience of many ministerial contexts, particularly those for the purpose of forming ministers (like M.Div. programs and seminaries) have all too often fallen completely into this model. I’ve experienced this as well within the context of Catholic schools, diocesan offices of education and in parishes. I do not believe it is humanly possible to form the level of intimacy that is required by the therapeutic model with the large number of people involved in schools, communities or parishes.
“This model makes intimacy the highest value in human relationships, because intimacy is regarded as the best therapy for the pain of disconnection (Palmer, 2007, p. 92).” There is no denying that Christian community should support the healing of individuals, but as Palmer points out, if community is equated with intimacy, our openness to so many encounters with the stranger may very well be closed off. I find such therapeutic communities to be rather self-focused, with the greatest value being the sustaining of the group and its heightened sense of intimacy. If we intend to turn a classroom of 25 young people, or a school community of 900, into a therapeutic community, we are destined to fall short of the mission of education and, I believe, the mission that is specifically Catholic. There are, no doubt, therapeutic components of what we do, but I support Palmer’s critique of the therapeutic vision of education. Such realties often devolve into the most relativistic of experiences.
“Openness to transcendence is what distinguishes the community of truth from both absolutism and relativism (Palmer, 2007, p.109).” This resonates with me and what I believe is a Catholic vision of education. While Palmer does not speak of transcendence in the context of faith, I take his words as resonating with the core values of Catholicism. As Palmer stated in an earlier section of this chapter, “I know of no field, from science to religion, where what we regard as objective knowledge did not emerge from long and complex communal discourse that continues to this day, no field where the facts of the matter were delivered fully formed from on high (Palmer, 2007, p. 107).” How many councils of the Church have there been? (21) When was the nature of Christ settled upon? (451 for Catholics) My point is this; we believe that revelation is on-going and that it is most often for us, communal. To see education as a community of truth is really very Catholic (if one can qualify the word!). We seek the truth in light!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Paradoxical Thinking
"Paradoxical thinking requires that we embrace a view of the world in which opposites are joined, so that we can see the world clearly and see it whole. Such a view is characterized by neither flinty-eyed realisim nor dewy-eyed romanticism but rather by a creative synthesis of the two (Palmer, 2007, p.69)."
I never thought I'd become one of those people who say over and over again, "when I was younger.." Well, here I am at middle age! I entered Religious life right after college - filled with idealism. Those early years of formation I was only in my early 20's. I was well educated but a great deal of life experience I lacked. I was often resistant to what I perceived as my community's lack of zeal, of prophetic voice and action on so many things. To say the least, I was very much a this or that kind of thinker.
Not to say that I was wrong about my community's lack of bold actions, but my views were not any more correct or proper. I was seeing the world in parts, not completely understanding the complexities of the interconnectedness of peoples and institutions. I lacked experience and emotional intelligence. Much of what Palmer suggests comes with age and experience, and of course, the openness of which Palmer writes and seemingly lives his own life. In looking back at those early days of my Religious life, or simply of my earlier life, those who wished simply to tell me I was wrong, or limited, or misguided - well, they were dismissed by me (even though they were right.
But those who found a way to do what Palmer suggests in his secion "Paradox and Pedagogical Design," they kept my attention and I look back at them now as the great heroes of my life. They realized my youth and inexperience, they say potential and they found a way to help me to see the world as less a bunch of parts and more the whole that it is.
I can't help but see Palmer's design as, well, rather Catholic. It reminds me of the Church.
1. The Space should be bounded and open. The designers of any of the great cathedrals of Europe sought to capture the boundedness of this earthly life by the walls of the church, while reminding of the openness of the transcendent by the towering hight of the vault.
2. The space would be hospitable and "charged." Sound like great liturgy to me!
3. The space should invite the voice of the individual and the voice of the group. We stand as individuals before God, and as members of the Body of Christ.
4. The space should honor the little stories of the students and the big stories of the disciplines and traditions. Look at the stained glass windows, pick up the Lives of the Saints.
5. The space should support solitude and surround it with the resources of the community. Get to Mass early, stay afterwards but watch what happens when we worship well together.
6. The space should welcome both silence and speech. Again, the rhythms of liturgy.
Palmer's on to something spectacular and much of it should be easily incorporated for those who call themselves Catholic educators. We do it naturally (I hope!)
I never thought I'd become one of those people who say over and over again, "when I was younger.." Well, here I am at middle age! I entered Religious life right after college - filled with idealism. Those early years of formation I was only in my early 20's. I was well educated but a great deal of life experience I lacked. I was often resistant to what I perceived as my community's lack of zeal, of prophetic voice and action on so many things. To say the least, I was very much a this or that kind of thinker.
Not to say that I was wrong about my community's lack of bold actions, but my views were not any more correct or proper. I was seeing the world in parts, not completely understanding the complexities of the interconnectedness of peoples and institutions. I lacked experience and emotional intelligence. Much of what Palmer suggests comes with age and experience, and of course, the openness of which Palmer writes and seemingly lives his own life. In looking back at those early days of my Religious life, or simply of my earlier life, those who wished simply to tell me I was wrong, or limited, or misguided - well, they were dismissed by me (even though they were right.
But those who found a way to do what Palmer suggests in his secion "Paradox and Pedagogical Design," they kept my attention and I look back at them now as the great heroes of my life. They realized my youth and inexperience, they say potential and they found a way to help me to see the world as less a bunch of parts and more the whole that it is.
I can't help but see Palmer's design as, well, rather Catholic. It reminds me of the Church.
1. The Space should be bounded and open. The designers of any of the great cathedrals of Europe sought to capture the boundedness of this earthly life by the walls of the church, while reminding of the openness of the transcendent by the towering hight of the vault.
2. The space would be hospitable and "charged." Sound like great liturgy to me!
3. The space should invite the voice of the individual and the voice of the group. We stand as individuals before God, and as members of the Body of Christ.
4. The space should honor the little stories of the students and the big stories of the disciplines and traditions. Look at the stained glass windows, pick up the Lives of the Saints.
5. The space should support solitude and surround it with the resources of the community. Get to Mass early, stay afterwards but watch what happens when we worship well together.
6. The space should welcome both silence and speech. Again, the rhythms of liturgy.
Palmer's on to something spectacular and much of it should be easily incorporated for those who call themselves Catholic educators. We do it naturally (I hope!)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Fear
"Educational institutions are full of divisive structures, of course, but blaming them for our brokenness perpetuates the myth that the outer work is more powerful than the inner. The external structures of education would not have the power to divide us as deeply as they do if they were not rooted in one of the most compelling features of our inner landscape -- fear (Palmer, 2007, p.36)"
Institutions can push our buttons and they seem to push the fear button so very well. Palmer strikes at something that is so basic and human. Fear takes so many forms in our experience from outright terror to the more subtle insecurities that plaque most of our lives (at least in my life!). It's often easy to blame institutions for why we don't connect more and better to one another. I've been on both sides of institution bashing and blaming. "The Church is so dysfunctional!" "She's the worst principal!" "The kids here just don't want to learn!" "The parents really run this place!" It's so easy to blame something outside of ourselves for the way things are. I've been there. I've done that.
They first day I was in charge of 900 kids, 65 faculty and God knows how many coaches, fear entered my heart in a new way. Or maybe it didn't enter my heart in a new way, I just felt it stir in a new way. I could have blamed my predecessor, or the Superintendent, but day in and day out, I was actually where the buck did stop. Around that same time I was elected to the leadership of my community. My God, now I was "them!" The them I use to blame for my unhappiness or restlessness. It's often about perspective! But I do agree with Palmer, fear is all too often the default mode of administration and used when we simply don't know what else to do. But it only works if there is actually fear to be tapped into.
I wasn't sure exactly what Palmer was getting at when he spoke of how we subscribe to "religions of fear who exploit our dread of death and damnation (Palmer, 2007, p.39). He must speaking of something other than Catholicism! I realize that religion, including Catholicism, has throughout history used fear as a motivator but religion, especially Christianity, and in particular Catholicism in its purest form, is a powerful force for hope - that which is the opposite of fear.
The Bible is filled with stories of angels appearing and telling us to no be afraid. Jesus himself, throughout the Gospels, tries to convince us to not fear but to feel the love of God the Father. True religion frees us from fear!
Institutions can push our buttons and they seem to push the fear button so very well. Palmer strikes at something that is so basic and human. Fear takes so many forms in our experience from outright terror to the more subtle insecurities that plaque most of our lives (at least in my life!). It's often easy to blame institutions for why we don't connect more and better to one another. I've been on both sides of institution bashing and blaming. "The Church is so dysfunctional!" "She's the worst principal!" "The kids here just don't want to learn!" "The parents really run this place!" It's so easy to blame something outside of ourselves for the way things are. I've been there. I've done that.
They first day I was in charge of 900 kids, 65 faculty and God knows how many coaches, fear entered my heart in a new way. Or maybe it didn't enter my heart in a new way, I just felt it stir in a new way. I could have blamed my predecessor, or the Superintendent, but day in and day out, I was actually where the buck did stop. Around that same time I was elected to the leadership of my community. My God, now I was "them!" The them I use to blame for my unhappiness or restlessness. It's often about perspective! But I do agree with Palmer, fear is all too often the default mode of administration and used when we simply don't know what else to do. But it only works if there is actually fear to be tapped into.
I wasn't sure exactly what Palmer was getting at when he spoke of how we subscribe to "religions of fear who exploit our dread of death and damnation (Palmer, 2007, p.39). He must speaking of something other than Catholicism! I realize that religion, including Catholicism, has throughout history used fear as a motivator but religion, especially Christianity, and in particular Catholicism in its purest form, is a powerful force for hope - that which is the opposite of fear.
The Bible is filled with stories of angels appearing and telling us to no be afraid. Jesus himself, throughout the Gospels, tries to convince us to not fear but to feel the love of God the Father. True religion frees us from fear!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Palmer: Heart of the Teacher
"...good teachers share one trait: a strong sense of personal identity infuses their work (Palmer, 2007, p.11).
Insert any profession where Palmer has the word teachers. Good doctors, priests, principals, plumbers, sales people - there is no substitution for a strong sense of who we are as individuals. I had an extraordinary conversation about a month ago with a ticket agent for Jet Blue. You just had a sense the woman new herself, accepted herself and was more open to the world because of it. Even just the desire to develop a strong sense of self is such a sign of health to me and that desire always involves a high degree of knowing that who I am today is not who I will be (or even should be) in five years. If I'm a person of faith today, five years from know I may say the same thing, but it's meaning, it's impact on my identity will be new, fresh, perhaps even resurrecting!
"Good teachers possess a capacity for connectedness (Palmer, 2007, p.11)."
Yes! My reflection here is a bit of a rant. I'm facinated, and very frustrated, with people who are painfully introverted and seem unable or unwilling to adapt to extroverted professions. Teaching is not counseling (in itself) where we have one on one conversations with people all day. Teaching is being at the center of a crowd, being seen as the leader of that crowd, and drawing others into interest and activity centered around the topic of the moment. If you throw up every time you even thing of having to stand in front of a group of people and speak - library science might be more for you! This rant is a reflection, by the way, on teachers and priests who fall into my target category.
Remembering ourselves and our power can lead to revolution but it requires more than a recalling of facts. Re-membering involves putting ourselves back together, recovering identity and integrity...(Palmer 2007, p.21)
There is some truly spectacular imagery and prose in this section of Palmer. He really strikes a chord within me when he speaks about re-membering. I find that the ability to put myself back together is really, literally, to pick up the pieces and put them back together - sometimes in a new or slightly different way than before the event that caused the breakage. If we really see our spiritual lives as a journey, Palmer is striking at one of the most important realities of living well the journey we've been given by God. It's not that we fall or break, but it's about how we get back up again and continue on better for having fallen.
Finally, the matter of personal identity is crucial in our ability to teach and teach well. This can however, in a religious context, be difficult to fully resolve for those who find their personal identity at odds with what the Church teachers or believes. It may seem obvious that those individuals need to, for the sake of their own integrity and the love of the profession, move into an educational setting that is secular, or at least more in line with their own identity. Having accompanied such individuals, this can, however, be a painful process for all involved. Talk about a need for a grounded spirituality for administrators as well as teachers.
Insert any profession where Palmer has the word teachers. Good doctors, priests, principals, plumbers, sales people - there is no substitution for a strong sense of who we are as individuals. I had an extraordinary conversation about a month ago with a ticket agent for Jet Blue. You just had a sense the woman new herself, accepted herself and was more open to the world because of it. Even just the desire to develop a strong sense of self is such a sign of health to me and that desire always involves a high degree of knowing that who I am today is not who I will be (or even should be) in five years. If I'm a person of faith today, five years from know I may say the same thing, but it's meaning, it's impact on my identity will be new, fresh, perhaps even resurrecting!
"Good teachers possess a capacity for connectedness (Palmer, 2007, p.11)."
Yes! My reflection here is a bit of a rant. I'm facinated, and very frustrated, with people who are painfully introverted and seem unable or unwilling to adapt to extroverted professions. Teaching is not counseling (in itself) where we have one on one conversations with people all day. Teaching is being at the center of a crowd, being seen as the leader of that crowd, and drawing others into interest and activity centered around the topic of the moment. If you throw up every time you even thing of having to stand in front of a group of people and speak - library science might be more for you! This rant is a reflection, by the way, on teachers and priests who fall into my target category.
Remembering ourselves and our power can lead to revolution but it requires more than a recalling of facts. Re-membering involves putting ourselves back together, recovering identity and integrity...(Palmer 2007, p.21)
There is some truly spectacular imagery and prose in this section of Palmer. He really strikes a chord within me when he speaks about re-membering. I find that the ability to put myself back together is really, literally, to pick up the pieces and put them back together - sometimes in a new or slightly different way than before the event that caused the breakage. If we really see our spiritual lives as a journey, Palmer is striking at one of the most important realities of living well the journey we've been given by God. It's not that we fall or break, but it's about how we get back up again and continue on better for having fallen.
Finally, the matter of personal identity is crucial in our ability to teach and teach well. This can however, in a religious context, be difficult to fully resolve for those who find their personal identity at odds with what the Church teachers or believes. It may seem obvious that those individuals need to, for the sake of their own integrity and the love of the profession, move into an educational setting that is secular, or at least more in line with their own identity. Having accompanied such individuals, this can, however, be a painful process for all involved. Talk about a need for a grounded spirituality for administrators as well as teachers.
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