Tao Te(tea)ching : learning along the 'way'
Date
1996
Authors
Coey, Heather Dawn
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Abstract
Through my masters program, I engaged in reflective journalling regarding my growth pathway(s), through the philosophy of Taoism, and writing about my life, my personal experiences and teaching, and reflecting upon them and their meaning(s). I scrutinized how I teach to see what 'works' for me; what enables me to be happy, healthy and peaceful in teaching and learning, and in particular, engaging with students. I also elicited students' perspectives, through group dialogue sessions, of what 'works' for them; what enables them to be happy, healthy and at peace while learning in a classroom setting, growing personally and intellectually. This investigation was situated in the Flexible Studies program at Reynold's Secondary school, because it is there that influencing factors converged to a point where I felt happiest, healthiest and most peaceful teaching.
The study was phenomenologically oriented--a narrative of lived experience as myself and my students struggled together to understand the curriculum as an extension of ourselves, which shapes our being. It is about the transition from making learning happen to letting learning happen, in the space between the curriculum as planned and the curriculum as Iived. There could be many spaces which might allow such a transition, from making to letting. It is important to find the right space for each individual, part of that being an internal finding. 'Letting happen' does not preclude, however, setting up environments, and developing philosophies and ways of being which have the potential to let positive things happen.
T'ai Chi, a moving meditation of Taoist origin, was used as a metaphor for the transition and personal growth that occurred along the 'Way'. T'ai Chi uses external moves for internal benefits, starting with the feet, the bubbling springs. The hand movements follow the feet, hinged by the spine. If one focusses on the fancy movements of the hands and disregards where the feet are placed, the benefit will be lost.