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Teaching as Contemplative Professional Practice

Thomas Falkenberg

Paideusis October 6, 2020 DOI: 10.7202/1071828ar (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Meditation
Key points Argues that teaching as contemplative practice, involving ongoing work on awareness, attention, and noticing of one's inner life, provides the basis for engaging in teaching as a moral endeavor.

Abstract

Starting with the argument that what we attend to is important for how we act in and on the world – and, thus, our moral living – the article conceptualizes teaching as contemplative practice, arguing that attending pre-conceptually and non-judgmentally to our inner life as teachers as we teach moment-by-moment will give us the basis upon which we can engage developmentally in teaching as a moral endeavour. Central to the conceptualization of teaching as contemplative professional practice is the idea of on-going wok on one’s awareness, attention, and noticing of one’s inner life while teaching. Such on-going professional development is undertaken in regard of others, the students, and, thus, makes teaching as contemplative practice a moral endeavour.