Teachers need to share their creative energies

Anne E. Ulvestad wrote "Our Place in the Universe" for Religion and Spirituality, February 1, 2007. In this column, she talks about education and the teacher's role in the classroom by quoting Thomas Moore's soul-centred approach to education: "Education of the soul leads to the enchantment of the world and the attunement of self." Ulvestad then asks, "Is that part of our teaching method? A sharing of self, and an uncovering of self, is the most basic form of knowledge. Can we take the chance to teach based on the fundamental adage "Know thyself"? She continues to quote Moore:

"Education is an 'eduction,' a drawing out of one's own genius, nature and heart. The manifestation of one's essence, the unfolding of one's capacities, the revelation of one's heretofore hidden possibilities — these are the goals of study from the point of view of the person. From another side, study amplifies the speech and song of the world so that it's more palpably present."

Ulvestad observes, "Here we have no discussion of credentials or scientific evidence of what works in education. Teaching, as learning, does not take place in an isolated manner, but through interdependent relationships. To teach is to try to define a space where truth happens. To teach is to acknowledge a reality that we are a part of, not apart from, this truth. As who we are interacts with the knowledge that we would impart, it is enhanced or diminished by our own self-knowledge."