Teaching with Reverence

Reverence is a forgotten virtue in teaching and learning. Indeed, it is a largely forgotten virtue in American society. When remembered, we usually narrowly confine it to the religious domain and assume that the separation of church and state necessitate that we ignore it at least in public schools. When taken in a broader spiritual sense, it is often associated with a mute and prim solemnity. Even then, many think that spirituality has no place in schools. Most can only conceive teaching as about imparting skills and knowledge that will serve students well in career and life. However, the contributors to the present volume on Reverence and Teaching know that there is much more to teaching students than merely imparting knowledge. They realize that good teaching involves forming character, molding destinies, creating an enduring passion for learning, appreciating beauty, caring for others, and much more. In some sense of the word, teaching is a spiritual, although not necessarily a religious, activity. When done well, it cultivates human intimacy and allows teachers to find creative self-expression in classroom community. The essays gathered here examine reverence as a way to understand some of the spiritual dimensions of classroom teaching.