Courage to Teach
Reading and Reflection Log Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach
is not a book about teaching the Bible, nor is it a book specifically about Christian teaching. Rather it is a book about being a teacher and what that means. The book is specifically focused on people who teach as a profession, but in its pages are many good insights and perspectives that can be of help to each of us no matter where or in what context we teach. Because of the scope of the book, and its intended audience, some of the imagery and forms of expression he uses may seem a little strange for a course on study and teaching the Bible. In some cases he discusses issues of spirituality and “the sacred” in terms that we may not necessarily relate to. For the most part, this is due to the broad audience he is aiming to reach with this book. Still, you may ask, why are we using this book in this class? Answer: Palmer’s book is the best book I know for pointing out the reality that who we are
is just as important or perhaps more important than how we teach
. If you are called to teach the Bible, then it is vital to understand how who you are
impacts the way you teach and the way your students learn. We could read about techniques and methods all session, but if we did not come to grips with the importance of the character and person of the teacher, this class would run the risk of being a waste of time, or even worse, of giving the impression that technique is everything. Technique is important, but we know all too well that a person’s character, for good or for ill, will enhance or ultimately eclipse the message they teach. So, I want to encourage you to engage this book in a positive way and to seek at least one new insight from each chapter we read. I am not asking you to accept everything he says, because of course we are always reading critically and asking good questions in undergraduate courses. But I would like to ask you to remain open to being challenged by Palmer about your view of teaching and what it means.

To facilitate this kind of interaction, one of your assignments is a reflective reading log. For chapters 1 through 5 of Palmer please do the following in written form in a Word document: 1) Identify and write out three important quotes from the chapter;
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2) Identify three main ideas that you can take away from that chapter. These do not need to be the main points of the chapter although they can be; 3) Identify one application point from that chapter that you can put into practice in your own life as a teacher. This can be an action to perform, an attitude to cultivate, a way of thinking to consider, etc. Conclude your reflection on the chapter by expressing the application point in the form of an “I will…” or “I intend to…” statement of some kind. This is not to be a critique of Palmer, but an opportunity to reflect on your reading and identify statements and concepts that you can take with you beyond the course. This is primarily for your benefit as you think of yourself as a teacher in light of some of the issues Palmer raises. I will read and grade it only to make sure that you have put the time and thought in to both read and reflect on how this relates to you—not to determine whether or not you agree with Palmer.
also use the book of phillipians(bible)