Teaching from the heart is a risky proposition. It exposes your vulnerabilities, as good teachers “must stand where personal and public meet” (Palmer, 1998. Chapter 1: The Heart of a Teacher). It is hard to quantify and understand, and harder still to evaluate and assess.  How do you bring your whole self to the classroom? How do you talk with other teachers about your heart, your inner life? In this article Urs Cunningham begins to explore the concept of heart in teaching, and looks at what makes a great teacher.

“When we bracket our desire for learning and our desire for understanding, the world can begin to speak to us, can begin to address us, can begin to teach us.”   (Biesta, 2017. Prologue: The Need for a Re(dis)covery of Teaching). In this article, Urs Cunningham, explores her experiences of being taught by the world while on a teaching sabbatical.