The Community of Truth

"Truth is an eternal conversation about things that matter, conducted with passion and discipline." Parker Palmer

"We invite DIVERSITY into our community not because it is politically correct but because diverse viewpoints are demanded by the manifold mysteries of great things.

We embrace AMBIGUITY not because we are confused or indecisive but because we understand the inadequacy of our concepts to embrace the vastness of great things.

We welcome CREATIVE CONFLICT not because we are angry or hostile but because conflict is required to correct our biases and prejudices about the nature of great things.

We practice HONESTY not only because we owe it to one another but because to lie about what we have seen would be to betray the truth of great things.

We experience HUMILITY not because we have fought and lost but because humility is the only lens through which great things can be seen - and once we have seen them, humility is the only posture possible.

We have become FREE men and women in the fellowship of community not because we have privileged information but because tyranny in any form can be overcome only by involving the grace of great things."

from The Courage to Teach

I'm headed to school this morning to drop off some boxes, and take a look at my classroom. The room where hopefully, I'll start to allow a community to happen, and embrace all that brings. I've never had my own classroom before in all my years of teaching, and I am looking forward to the ways in which it will make things easier. I am conscious of one other concern - in the past, I was located in different classrooms through my buildings for music - thus, I had to share space and people were able to see what I was teaching, and I was able to see the students in many environments. Luckily, I will have every student in the school weekly as my student. A great opportunity to meet all the members of this school community starting form the bottom up. As the onset of school looms on the horizon, I am doing more thinking than ever before about classroom spaces, safety of opposing ideas, and letting curriculum and learning emerge form the students' honest inquiry.