1. The Teacher As Educator
Session 3
The spiritual dimension of teaching
11 Oct., 2016

2. Points that echo those raised in previous sessions
Dilemmas involved in teaching: teacher as master (who possesses authority) of the students or as servant to the students (who enjoy freedom) (Tubb, 2005)

3. Points that echo those raised in previous sessions
Teaching as a subversive activity: “When asked why they teach, most educators respond by sharing a sense of ‘mission,’ to include imparting to students ‘the courage to challenge mainstream knowledge and conventional wisdom … ” (Miller, 2009, p.2706)
“ … motivating force that compels a person [in this case a teacher] to do something contrary to mainstream decision-making constructs and extrinsic rewards.” (Bigham, 2008, p.2)

4. Points that echo those raised in previous sessions
The importance of the teacher’s own personal story: “I believe that teaching, like religion, is really autobiography, a highly personal narrative that the believer creates in order to elicit, and to answer, the most confounding existential questions, the ones that defy easy scientific, political, or technological answers.” (Nash, 2001, p.8)

5. Share your thoughts triggered by the readings, such as questions, disagreements, striking expressions or statements, experiences recalled, etc.

6. The increasing popularity of the word “spirituality”
“Spirituality is on the rise, both culturally and scientifically.” (Emmons, 1999, p.5)
The notion of spirituality “has become pervasive in contemporary society in the consciousness of its advocates and detractors.” (Carrette & King, 2005, p.1)
A Spiritual Revolution is now under way. (Heelas, et al, 2005)

7. The literature on work place spirituality has exploded after 2000
The literature on work place spirituality has exploded after (Lee, S., Chan, A. & Yeung, R.W.M, 2007, An empirical study of Hong Kong Christians, p.7,
There has been an upsurge of interest in spirituality in many, perhaps all, late capitalist societies. This is a strange phenomenon indeed. Is there an inverse relation between increased secularization and increased attention to spirituality? (Thatcher, 1999, p.1)
Is there increased attention to spirituality precisely because it is being endangered?
Is spirituality a more acceptable term than religion?

8. Increasing salience of spirituality in the research literature
Katz, S. (2008), A Brief History of the Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Program. Accessed at on 1 Oct 2008.

9. As at 12 Oct., 2014

10. As at 12 Oct., 2014

11. Does the term “spiritual” make sense?
Maples (2006): Against (the use of the term) ‘spiritual education’
The language of “spirituality” is vague.
The promotion through education of a spirituality tethered to religion is indoctrinatory.
No identifiable body of experience or set of truths can be discerned about an un-tethered spirituality which is either not meaningless or cannot be accommodated within other forms of knowledge.

12. Best (2008): In defence of the concept of ‘spiritual education’
The discourse of “spirituality” is intelligible within its own community of language users.
Spiritual statements are not about nothing, but about something which is a remainder; something for which an adequate account cannot be given within other discourses. (p.326)
The “more-than-ness” of being human (Schoonmaker, 2009, p.2717) vs “nothing-buttery” (Donald M. MacKay)

13. 有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，獨立而不改，周行而不殆，可以為天下母。吾不知其名，字之曰道。強為之名曰大。… (《老子‧第二十五章》)
I do not know her name; I entitle her the Way;
I force myself to name her Great.
(Laozi (2008), Daodejing, translated with notes by Edmund Ryden, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p.53)

14. The difficulty of definition
‘… of all experiences, it is the spiritual which, it seems, is most resistant to operational definition. At its worst, attempts to pin it down lead only to a greater awareness of its intangibility and pervasiveness’. (Best, 2000, p. 10)
《臨濟錄》是不修行就讀不了的。（禪是無的宗教，60頁）

15. The difficulty of definition
Webster’s apologetic remark that “If its spark already permeates learning and experience then argument about it seems pointless, if it doesn’t then argument about it can seem incomprehensible.” (1985, p.25)
This again brings to mind Meno’s paradox:
If you know what you’re looking for, inquiry is unnecessary.
If you don’t know what you’re looking for, inquiry is impossible.
Therefore, inquiry is either unnecessary or impossible.

16. The irreducible ambiguity of reality (John Hick)16

17. How would you express the term“spirituality”in Chinese?

21. As at 18 Oct., 2014

22. Is “spiritual” the same as or different from “psychological”?
In that we ask students to leave much of their awaking selves behind, it hardly seems surprising that often students are not wholly present in class. … This particular form of student disengagement does not emanate from the curricular level, nor does it entirely overlap with mental health issues. (Miller, 2009, p )

23. Is “spiritual” the same as or different from “psychological”?
“ … students’ other reasons for entering teaching, which were all about internal motivators such as always wanting to teach, wanting to help others, being inspired by other teachers, or feeling called. Those that had experience teaching also talked about feeling personally fulfilled. These reasons are all what Guarino, Santibanez, and Daley (2006) called, rather clinically, ‘psychological factors,’ but they could also be identified as spiritual in nature. They are about finding meaning and purpose and about being connected with others.” (Marshall, 2009, p.35)

24. Do you believe in synchronicity?
Cho’s group intervention aimed to increase spiritual awareness in graduate students … through encouraging attention to synchronicity and specific daily synchronistic events (striking concomitant events that reveal ultimate purpose or meaning). Through greater awareness of daily synchronistic events, these graduate students came to view daily events to carry spiritual significance and meaning. (Miller, 2009, p.2711)

25. Does spirituality necessarily presuppose the existence of a power that oversees the operation of the world?
“ … spirituality usually refers to a perception of a power or persona that oversees for the good of the universe” (Bigham, 2008, p.5)
The difference between spirituality and spiritualism

26. Marshall (2009) asked preservice student teachers three questions, the first of which is:
Does your own spirituality affect your teaching?
“We deliberately chose not to define the term spirituality, but instead to listen to what participants had to say and consider the language they used in response to the question.” (Marshall, 2009, p.29)
What would be your answer to that question?

27. “ … it was difficult for preservice teachers to express themselves about spirituality because they lacked a shared language about that spirituality.” (Marshall, 2009, p.37)

28. “This asking of ‘why’ questions does not always thrill my students
“This asking of ‘why’ questions does not always thrill my students. At least initially, many do not want to live in the land of the ‘holy,’ especially my ‘holy.’ And why should they? Most of them rightfully come to my courses seeking practical answers to clear-cut professional questions about moral and character education, philosophy and history of education, and ethical decision-making. But what they end up getting is spiritual tribulation.” (Nash, 2001, p.3-p.4)
Is that a description of our own class too?

29. “ … teacher education classrooms might also be considered spiritual spaces, and prospective teachers and teacher educators might intentionally discuss what that means. Although it may employ a specific pedagogy … or involve reviewing the growing body of scholarly literature on children’s spirituality, it may also include reflections on our own early spiritual experiences and what they can teach us about children’s spirituality.” (Schoonmaker, 2009, p.2720)
Can we recall any such experiences?

30. “… spirituality refers to a way of being that includes the capacity of humans to see beyond ourselves, to become more than we are, to see mystery and wonder in the world around them, and to experience private and collective moments of awe, wonder, and transcendence.” (Schoonmaker, 2009, p.2714)
Are we able to sense any mystery and wonder right now, in this room?

31. Can teaching be a spiritual exercise?
“ … only with the fairly recent advent of the literature on spirituality and teaching can we name an experience that many educators have already known for a while – that teaching is often a spiritual exercise.” (Marshall, 2009, p.28)
How would you make sense of the statement that “teaching is a spiritual exercise”?

32. Hong Kong Teachers
The Committee on Teachers’ Work pointed out in its final report (2006): “All teachers interviewed appeared to share high levels of personal investment in their work. They subscribed to the common vision and purpose of their profession, i.e. to care for the educational needs and general well being of students … Teachers also asserted that they had always derived and would continue to derive satisfaction from building relationships with students and seeing their positive response in learning and development.” (p.12)

33. A questionnaire was administered to 106 in-service teacher education students of a university in Hong Kong ... Three motive factors were identified accounting for their choice of teaching as a career: "intrinsic/altruistic", "extrinsic/job condition" and "influence from others", amongst which, the strongest one is "intrinsic/altruistic" motive. ... Pearson correlation analysis showed that "intrinsic/altruistic" motive was significantly related to the four commitment factors, suggesting the relative importance of "intrinsic/altruistic" motive upon teacher's commitment in teaching. (Chan, 2006, p.112)

34. Stages of teacher concerns (Fuller & Brown, 1975)
survival concerns / self concerns
teaching situation concerns / task concerns
pupil concerns / impact concerns

35. Is teaching possible?
The teacher who teaches for the freedom of the students’ own learning finds herself having to use her authority over the students’ to do so. (Tubb, 2005, p.287)

36. Scolnicov, S. (2004):
Plato is not concerned with training children for a trade but rather with giving them an education in virtue, which is to produce "a keen desire to become a perfect citizen who knows how to rule and be ruled" in turn (Laws, bk. 1, 643). Reason is man's true nature, but it has to be nurtured from childhood by irrational means. Education is thus the correct channeling of pains and pleasures (Laws, bk. 2, 653), aiming at establishing "a nature in which goodness of character has been well and truly established" so as to breed a familiarity with reason (Republic, bk. 3, 398, 401).
Plato
(c428 – c347 BC)

37. Parker J. Palmer (1939- )
1993
1999
2007

38. “ … teaching tugs at the heart, opens the heart, even breaks the heart – and the more one loves teaching, the more heartbreaking it can be. The courage to teach is the courage to keep one’s heart open in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able so that teacher and students and subject can be woven into the fabric of community that learning, and living, require.” (Palmer, 2007, p.11-p.12)

39. Parker Palmer
In the self, every major thread of one’s life experience is honored, creating a weave of such coherence and strength that it can hold students and subjects as well as self. Such a self, inwardly integrated, is able to make the outward connections on which good teaching depends.

40. 子曰：「吾十有五而志于學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。」 （《論語․為政》）
The Master said, "At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right." (Analects: Wei Zheng) (English translation: James Legge)

41. The Master said, “At age fifteen I set my intention upon learning; at thirty I took my stand; at forty I became free from doubts; at fifty I understood the Heavenly Mandate; at sixty my ear could simply go along [ershun 耳順 ]; and at seventy I could follow my heart‘s desire without overstepping the bounds [ju 矩; lit. carpenter’s square].” (Slingerland, 2003, p.58-p.59)

42. Wu-wei 無為 (effortless or perfected action, action that is spontaneous and yet nonetheless accords in every particular with the normative order of the cosmos) (Slingerland, 2003)

43. The tension between the teacher being the master and being the servant (Tubb, 2005)
Tubb on Martin Buber
To teacher does select the parts of the world to present to the student, but this selection is embodied in the teacher as his own life, his own example. [Recall Session 2’s readings on “teacher example”.] The result is that he influences the child as the world does, but also, like the world, does not interfere. [Wu-wei?] (p.295)

44. The tension between the teacher being the master and being the servant (Tubb, 2005)
Tubb on Martin Buber ( )
Buber concludes, ‘the forces of the world which the child needs for the building up of his substance must be chosen by the educator and drawn to himself … The educator educates himself to be their vehicle’ … It is here, in the spiritual relationship of the teacher who is, in a sense, both master and servant to the education of the student, that Buber believes he can find the spiritual renewal that he seeks. (p.295)

45. This reminds me of the Christian concept of kenosis, as God’s voluntary self-limitation so as to enable human freedom.

46. Spiritual practices for teachers
How does one attend to the voices of the teacher within? I have no particular methods to suggest, other than the familiar ones: solitude and silence, meditative reading and walking in the woods, keeping a journal, finding a friend who will listen. I simply propose that we need to learn as many ways as we can of “talking to ourselves.” (Palmer, 2007)
Does any member of the class engage in spiritual practice? Is it possible to share the experience?

47. Spiritual practices for teachers
John Miller’s “The Holistic Teacher” (1993):
Meditation and visualization
Slowing down
Movement
Teaching as service
Keeping a journal
Making room
Humor/laughter