“The Courage to Teach” was an eye-opening text analyzing the importance of the inward

teacher and building a community of truth. I was able to relate to the content in the book a lot as

a teacher in the beginning of my career. I am always looking for new things to learn and reflect

on as an educator. The first couple chapters had a common theme of fear. Coming out of college,

I was fearful that I was not prepared enough to be an educator right away. I jumped into the job

anyways, and have learned so much. I could relate to the book when Palmer discussed the

journey of finding yourself. It does take a lot of trial and error. I can relate to the fear of never

mastering the vocation of teaching. Over time, I feel that I am gaining more of a sense of identity

and integrity as a teacher. I have several mentors that I can go to for help and advice. I feel that it

is important to continually reflect on the reason I became a teacher. In high school I was drawn

toward students with special needs, and that really narrowed my path to become an educator. My

vocation as a teacher does provide me with deep gladness, as described in the text. The

relationships with those around me are important, just as the relationship that I have with myself,

which is where the idea of an inward teacher comes in. In order to connect with my students, I

need to connect with myself and understand my purpose, my reason and my passions. Thinking

back to my Senior Seminar course during my undergraduate courses, we talked about our

“calling” and I believe mine is to create. I love to create pieces of art to share with others, as well

as create learning experiences for students.

The next few chapters of the book talk about truth and community. I was informed of the

importance of creating a strong community while teaching and also several strategies to create

that atmosphere. I love the ideas of setting goals, asking good questions and encouraging

students to collaborate with each other. The idea of a subject-centered classroom was new to me

and I find it intriguing. A classroom that has both the teacher and the students focused on the
concept of transcendence can really create that sense of community and trust. Teachers must

depend on students and students must depend on their teachers. Another community can be built

in the realm of colleagues. Co-workers must have the opportunities to talk with each other about

highs and lows, dilemmas and classroom experiences. For me, this has been so important as I

navigate teaching virtually and in-person for the first time. Leaders have an important role in

creating those experiences.

Overall, teachers need to work toward a meaningful change in their environment. We

need to resist living in a divided world in order to make that change. A huge thing that I learned

from this book that I continue to live by is to teach from the heart. To me, that means making

decisions with students in mind and working to create the best learning experiences for my

students.