The Heart of a Teacher Identity and Integrity in Teaching

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsParker J. Palmer Parker J. Palmer is a writer, teacher, and activist who works independently on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality, and social change. He gives workshops, lectures, and retreats in this country and abroad. He serves as Senior Associate of the American Association for Higher Education, as Senior Advisor to the Fetzer Institute, and is founder of Fetzer's Teacher Formation Program for K-12 teachers. His books include The Company of Strangers, To Know As We Are Known, The Active Life, and The Courage to Teach. He holds a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley and lives in Madison, Wisconsin. This essay consists of edited excerpts from the Introduction, Chapter I, and Chapter V of Parker J. Palmer's new book, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997), as well as new material written for Change. The author retains the copyright for this article.