A Passion for Teaching
In our rush to reform education, we have forgotten a
simple truth: reform will never be achieved by renewing
appropriations, restricting schools, rewriting curricula,
and revising texts if we continue to demean and
dishearten the human resource called the teacher on
whom so much depends…if we fail to cherish - and
challenge - the human heart that is the source of good
teaching”.
(Palmer, 1998, p. 3)
Contexts
Standards
“Passion and practicality are not opposing
notions; good planning and design are as
important as caring and spontaneity in
bringing out the best in students. Although not
the whole story, passion, uncomfortable as the
word may sound, is at the hear of what
teaching is or should be”.
(Fried, 1995, p. 6)
Passion associated with:
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•
•
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enthusiasm
commitment
hope
understanding
empathy
achievement
Teachers
“…cannot teach well if any part of them is disengaged for
long. Increasingly, social and political pressures give
precedence to head and hand, but if the balance between
feeling, thinking and doing is disturbed too much or for too
long, teaching becomes distorted, teachers’ responses are
restricted, they may even cease to be able to teach. Teachers
are emotionally committed to many different aspects of their
jobs. This is not an indulgence; it is a professional necessity.
Without feeling, without the freedom to “face themselves” to
be whole persons in the classroom, they implode - or walk
away”.
(Nias, 1996, p. 305)
Influences
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
excessive role demands
inadequate salaries and low status
lack of recognition and professional isolation
uncertainty
a sense of powerlessness
alienation
the decline in teacher morale
“The alarm goes off at six and I haul myself out of bed at the start of another
week. I try to do half an hours work before setting off to school. I am still
managing to get a decent night’s sleep most nights, but the cumulative effect
of the workload is taking its toll. I constantly feel the dull weight of deep
fatigue…what strikes me is how little slack there is in the system. Every
teacher seems to be working flat out all of the time; so much so that when
for one reason or another a teacher is absent for any prolonged period, the
strain is felt immediately…I’ve seen it happen in one department in this
school recently and, were it not for the selfless and voluntary effort by all
members of the department and the large amount of time and extra
organisation by the faculty head there would have been numerous times in
which pupils were little more than baby-sat. And this is a very popular
comprehensive (school) with a stable and experience teaching staff in a
comfortable teaching area with largely well-motivated pupils and parents. I
shudder to think how things are in less fortunate schools…where a third of
the staff are leaving at the end of the school year, and where it is not
unusual for the police to be called to sort out any incidents….”.
(McCormack, 2001, p. 6-7)
Figure 1.1 : The Passionate Teacher
High expectations,
Ideals and standards only the best will do
Honesty,
Fairness, Practical
Wisdom
Reflective, inquiry led individual
and collaborative teacher and
pupil learning
Standards
Cognition and
emotion (head, heart
and hand)
Values
Care
Persevering,
Courageous, being
persistent in adversity
The
Passionate
Teacher
Identity
Moral Purpose
Curiosity
Commitment
Person – centred learning
with responsibility
Hope
Vision for learning
and achievement for
all
Knowledge about
teaching, range of
teaching approaches
Moral Purposes
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•
•
•
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Honesty
Courage
Care
Fairness
Practical Wisdom
Care
Courage
Voices
Emotions (1)
1)
2)
3)
4)
emotional intelligence is at the heart of good professional
practice (Goleman, 1995);
emotions are indispensable to rational decision-making
(Damasio, 1994; Sylwester, 1995; Damasio, 2000)
emotional health is crucial to effective teaching over a
career;
emotional and cognitive health are affected by personal
biography, career, social context (of work and home) and
external (policy) factors.
Emotions (2)
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They can provide a ‘breather’, through
humour
They can ‘sustain’, helping individuals feel
effective and valued
They can be ‘restorative’, helping individuals
feel connected and cared for.
The Activist Identity (1)
i)
inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness – emphasising
the need for networks and partnerships;
ii) collective and collaborative action – interactions,
sharing ideas and debating issues helps to sustain
interest and works against disillusionment;
iii) effective communication of aims and expectations –
people need to know what is expected of them, what
the risks and personal costs might be;
iv) recognition of the expertise of all parties involved;
v) creating an environment of trust and mutual respect –
activism requires trust in people and process. Trust in
times of passion and concerted efforts galvanise
people;
The Activist Identity (2)
vi) ethical practice – recognises the needs, interests and
sensitivities of various parties, acknowledges that noone is culturally neutral;
vii) being responsive and responsible – expedience or
opportunism for self promotion is best avoided;
viii) acting with passion – activism requires commitment,
courage and determination … involves high levels of
emotional energy, demands that participants believes
strongly in their convictions and have the best
interests of the group clearly in mind;
ix) experiencing pleasure and having fun – whilst the
importance of the issues are to be taken seriously, the
camaraderie of the group is essential (Sachs, 2003,
pp147-149).
Commitment
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A clear, enduring set of values and ideologies which
inform practice regardless of social context.
The active rejection of a minimalist approach to
teaching (to just doing the job).
A continuing willingness to reflect upon experience
and the context in which practice occurs and to be
adaptable.
A sustained sense of identity and purpose and an
ability to manage tensions caused by external change
pressures.
Intellectual and emotional engagement.
A Passion for Learning
Reflective Practice (1)
“The people who develop …are those who love to learn, who seek
new challenges, who enjoy intellectually stimulating environments,
who are reflective, who make plans and set goals, who take risks,
who see themselves in the large social contexts of history and
institutions and broad cultural trends, who take responsibility for
themselves and their environs”.
(Rest, 1986, pp174-5)
“I used to think I’d be this great reflective teacher. I had visions of
spending time at the end of each day replaying my classes to see
what worked and what didn’t, etcetera but, quite honestly, by the
end of the day I am so frazzled from just trying to keep up I can
hardly even remember what took place only hours ago! And most of
the time I am so worried about tomorrow I don’t even want to think
about yesterday or today…I’ve taken to doing things for myself in
the evenings now in order to get my mind off [teaching]”.
(Cited in Cole, 1997, p9)
Reflective Practice (2)
1. Reflective practice helps to free teachers from impulsive,
routine behaviour;
2. Reflective practice allows teachers to act in a deliberate,
intentional manner; and
3. Reflective practice distinguishes teachers as educated
human beings since it is one of the hallmarks of
intelligent action.’
(Brubacher et al, 1994, p25)
To these three, we might add
4. Reflective practice enables teachers to assert their professional identity
as change agents with moral purposes; and
5. Reflective practice is essential to self knowledge
C.P.D. (1)
 Career development is often accompanied by ‘a sense of
inconsequentiality’, (Farber, 1991).
 Many teachers in mid-to-late career become disenchanted or
marginalise themselves from learning, no longer holding
the good of their pupils as a high priority.
 Low self-esteem, shame (at not achieving desired results)
are directly correlated with less variety of teaching
approaches and thus less connection with students’
learning needs.
C.P.D. (2)
Table – Organising for Professional
Development
‘Direct’ Teaching
Knowledge update
Skill update
Awareness Sessions
Initial Conversations
Charismatic Speakers
Conferences
Courses and
Workshops
Consultants
Learning Out of
School
Networked
Learning
Communities
School/University
Partnerships
Subject/Phase
Networks
Study Groups
University Courses
Learning in School
Team Teaching
Peer Coaching
Action Research
Problem-Solving
Groups
Reviews of Students
Assessment
Development
Case Studies of
Practice
Planning Groups
Writing for
Professional Journals
School Site
Management Teams
On-line Conversations
Peer Reviews of
Practice
Performance
Management
Mentoring
Based on Lieberman and Miller (1999, p.73)
Passionate Learning
Communities
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Shared norms and values
Reflective dialogue
Sharing of practice
Focus on student learning
Inclusivity
Leadership
“Organisations are not solely concerned with outcomes,
processes and resources. They are also concerned
with the human spirit and their values and
relationships. Authentic leaders breathe life force into
the workplace and keep the people energised and
focused. As stewards and guides they build people
and their self-esteem. They derive their credibility
from personal integrity and “walking” their values”.
(Bhindi and Duignan, 1996, p. 29)
Sustaining the Passion
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A deep sense of mission
Young people: they give the mission its meaning
The teacher as ‘origin’ and motivator of others
Investment in self: giving in order to get
Change of pace: striking a balance
Coping with the external pressures: closing the
classroom door