A review by ckirkhart
The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life by Parker J. Palmer

4.0

Reading this book feels like some combination of having a stirring conversation about teaching and eavesdropping on the author's insights from years worth of therapy sessions. I have a knee-jerk, cynical response to vague uses of the word 'heart' and 'spiritual' and phrases like 'speak your inner truth.' But when I did my best to stay open-minded and not get too distracted by his new age-y diction, I found most of the book quite interesting. I think he successfully introduces a lot of psychological and philosophical questions that deserve serious mulling over, not just by teachers, but for anyone who wants to find their "integral and undivided self" by "holding a mirror up to their soul." (Ok, so I couldn't completely get over the language. Seriously, though, I still liked it.)