At the Heart of Teaching

As a child I always drew on the understanding that beyond all that I can see there exists an invisible presence guiding us through each situation in life. With the dawning of self-awareness that at the heart of all experience is divine grace, I began to look beyond curriculum, beyond pedagogy for an intersecting point of learning. Teachers could create a rich learning environment, sequence activities to support the journey of learning and develop realistic activities to heighten the student awareness that what they are engaged in is real and is helpful for their education into adulthood. However, I became acutely aware that there was an important element of learning that was missing from my practice of teaching. Over time through much inner work, an understanding began to emerge. As a result my teaching became more heartfelt. Student learning came to reflect more fully the intention of education - the education of the whole being rather than simply a matter of mental development. This critical element that I was searching for was the experience of the HEART.