Authentic Educational Reform: Listening for the Wholeness of the Live Encounter

[T]he transformation of must begin in transformed heart of teacher. Only in heart searched and transformed by truth will new techniques and strategies for institutional change find sure grounding. (Palmer, 1993, p.107) Most of us would agree that there was once a time in our lives, perhaps in childhood, when world spoke as if overflowing with splendor and intrigue of novelty and fascination. The four-year old wonders, If clouds are so light, then how can they hold rain? The beauty of such questioning speaks to attentive and curious attunement of child to magnificent mystery that is naturally speaking at every turn of his or her head. However, as norms, values, and expectations of social conditioning begin to invade child's mind, this wondrous sensing of world begins to diminish. For many of us, complications of everyday life gradually dim splendor that was once so viscerally felt. The excessive reliance on conceptuality and need to live according to what is empirically verifiable take precedence as sensing of indescribable marveling in childhood fades into background, still speaking but falling mostly upon deaf or unattuned ears. Of course, we all still have glimpses of tremendous wonder that once radiated in world around us, but, in general, glimpses quickly pass as over reliance on conceptual attitude--and its inherent splitting between person as subject and world as object--once again asserts its dominion over us. Inevitable in this scenario is that this reductive mindset that educators hold outside of school inevitably filters into mindset that we carry to our schooling practices and our attempts at reforming these practices. However, what if we educators were to recondition ourselves to reawaken that sense of awe and wonder? Our views and attitudes might begin to challenge and deconstruct fabrications that reduce teacher's purposes, roles, and responsibilities to merely an enactment of someone else's curriculum, a curriculum that does not speak back to us or interact in and through unique expression of our being. We might become a bit more suspicious of classifications that so easily and pervasively reduce child's infinite beauty to mere ability to comply with predetermined standards of factual recitation and skill demonstration. The ends of our work may become less clear, and yet, through ambiguity, space for genuine exploration and creativity may open in which interconnection of teacher, student, and curriculum becomes a living and breathing reality. Perspectives could broaden. The truth of somewhat mundane educational phrases such as teaching for diversity, working for social justice, and constructing knowledge would become meaningful embodiment of an ongoing deliberation that strives to deepen realization of interconnection among teacher, student, and curriculum. In turn, ethical responsibility and moral character of education as a genuine conduit for compassionate and meaningful change may take hold in visions and purposes of many educators. The integrity of as a vocational calling would strengthen in its vitality as a palpable manifestation in teacher's heart. And yet, only by creating space between us and conceptual clutter that controls our minds and fills our days with endless distractions can we begin to reacquaint ourselves with pure innocence from childhood. As opening quote asserts, the transformation of must begin in transformed heart of teacher (Palmer, 1993, p.107). It must begin with internal awakening of teachers themselves. Furthermore, transformation must come from heart that is attuned to a different way of listening--an authentic way of listening--to way in which world speaks. Authentic here means a deeply felt sense of oneself as distinct in human form and yet deeply connected to all others and world through an underlying wholeness. …