| Abstract: | Many images of the teacher in the current literature on teaching and teacher reflectivity can be seen as aspects of the Jungian image of the teacher as an archetype of spirit. These images--the teacher as philosopher, prophet, Zen master, and priest--correspond to what I call dialogical, civic, ontological and incarnational spirituality, respectively. I examine the possibilities and perils inherent in each of these visions of teaching. I also show how viewing teaching in archetypal terms provides a way of including the spiritual domain in both the theory and practice of teaching. The pedagogical, biographical and political dimensions of a teacher's calling and practice are important. However, examining the spiritual dimension of teaching can add to and interact with these other dimensions in ways that will enrich an understanding of what it means to be a teacher. |
