Conversations with remarkable teachers an exploration of teaching as healing

Through analysis and interpretation of transcribed taped conversations with two remarkable University teachers, Joel Shack and Harry Whittier, an articulation of perception and metaphor that exists in effective teaching, emerges as life giving or transformational. Creative insight and interpretation connect teaching to life. This work demonstrates how insightful conversations about teaching relate to poetic essence (Joel), energy (Harry), and healing (Ray), all aspects of a similar perceptual, creative and transformative process. Teachers shape education and excellent teaching inspires insofar as it is inspirited. Effective teaching is highly conscious and intentional. So much depends on how aware the teacher is, how the teacher sees what s/he is doing and how this doing/teaching is received. The effective teacher, attentive to how this energy works, can provoke positive change in consciousness both in the student, in education and in society. My study draws attention to the healing power of the teacher as he/she teaches and to the process of dialogue as teachers talk about what they do and don't do. For inherent in conversation and dialogue is the desire to affirm whole perceptions of existence. Dialogue and conversation is necessary to creating the kind of consciousness that will aid the reflective and conscientious teacher. The effective teacher attempts to effect change, to make things better. I call this transforming process, healing. And what creates this healing is the life, the attitude and approach of the teacher. The teacher's energy and consciousness, the teacher's perception of meaning, is the active but implicit ingredient in this transformative and healing process. These conversations are creative, theoretical, illuminating and even practical. It is my hope that the contents of these conversations will inspire potential teachers who can consider the vocation of teaching as a healing process that promises to generate positive growth in mind, body and spirit.

Décolonisation et construction nationale Afrique, Asie et Québec

Remerciements -- Introduction générale: sortie du colonialisme et enjeux de l’édification des sociétés postcoloniales / Patrick Dramé, Pascal Scallon-Chouinard et Françoise Nozati.-- I. Le crépuscule du colonialisme: Les missionnaires catholiques à l’assaut des colonisés africains : un bilan historiographique / Benoît Chartier -- Gandhi, l’Inde coloniale et la philosophie de la non-violence / Julie-Anne Gaudreau -- L’Indonésie en quête d’indépendance : une étude historiographique / Jean-Philippe Martel. II. Les enjeux de l’affirmation d’une identité politique et culturelle : Les nouvelles constitutions africaines : influences et objectifs. Étude de cas du Bénin, du Ghana et du Sénégal / Victor Bilodeau -- La politique culturelle : porte-étendard de l’État et de la nation malienne / Pauline Fougère.—III Quand le Québec s’émancipe : Nègres blancs d’Amérique : entre critiques et dénonciations / Michael Bergeron -- Socialisme et décolonisation dans le Québec de la Révolution tranquille à travers La Revue socialiste et Parti Pris / Stéphanie Jodoin-- La dernière année de la guerre d’Algérie vue par Le Devoir / Myriam Alarie.-- IV. Mémoire traumatique et construction nationale : Les mémoires du génocide de 1904 dans le Sud-Ouest africain allemand / Estelle Bourbeau -- Une équipe, un pays : la réconciliation raciale post apartheid autour du rugby sud-africain / Marie-Claude Beauregard --Biographies des auteurs.