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Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning
Contemplative pedagogy is a way for instructors Contemplative practices are used in just about every discipline―from physics to economics to history―and are found in every type of institution. Each year more and more faculty, education reformers, and leaders of teaching and learning centers seek out best practices in contemplative teaching, and now can find them here, brought to you by two of the foremost leaders and innovators on the subject.
This book presents background information and ideas for the practical application of contemplative practices across the academic curriculum from the physical sciences to the humanities and arts. Examples of contemplative techniques included in the book are mindfulness, meditation, yoga, deep listening, contemplative reading and writing, and pilgrimage, including site visits and field trips.
This book presents background information and ideas for the practical application of contemplative practices across the academic curriculum from the physical sciences to the humanities and arts. Examples of contemplative techniques included in the book are mindfulness, meditation, yoga, deep listening, contemplative reading and writing, and pilgrimage, including site visits and field trips.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 25, 2016
This is the bible of contemplative pedagogy, referenced frequently by people using these methods. I first heard about it during the ACS Workshop on Contemplative Pedagogy, just didn't get back to it for a while. Half the book is about contemplative pedagogy, and the second half details specific methods others have used successfully in their teaching. These can all be modified to practically any subject. This is an academic pursuit, not a free-wheeling, new-age, empty type of pedagogy.
Compelling ideas that grabbed me this time:
-The difference between "outcome-based" and contemplative learning (the process matters too)
-The relationship between experience, reflection and learning
Methods I want to adapt:
-Developing my own practice (this is ongoing, but a central concept in contemplative pedagogy - you do not create experiences for students that you do not know!)
-Being present - with difficult issues, with controversial subjects (helping students gain empathy and not just graze the surface)
-"sacred roots of reading" (for my reading class)
-contemplative reading
-writing about reading
Compelling ideas that grabbed me this time:
-The difference between "outcome-based" and contemplative learning (the process matters too)
-The relationship between experience, reflection and learning
Methods I want to adapt:
-Developing my own practice (this is ongoing, but a central concept in contemplative pedagogy - you do not create experiences for students that you do not know!)
-Being present - with difficult issues, with controversial subjects (helping students gain empathy and not just graze the surface)
-"sacred roots of reading" (for my reading class)
-contemplative reading
-writing about reading
May 14, 2024
While I've been reading novels and non-fiction on health and spirituality, I've also been reading articles, watching videos, and reading educational books on contemplative and mindfulness practices in education. Academe is an institution that is berated and misunderstood by many and harangued and micromanaged all too often by politicians who know nothing of the discipline of teaching and little of the day-to-day reality in the classrooms. It is also where teaching and learning is challenging because of these and many other factors, including the recent pandemic and its effects; social media and other distractions; and issues so large they seem out of control, such as racism, sexism, climate change, and threats to democracy.
It's interesting to see that this book was published ten years ago and so many concerns were already apparent then. Surprising to me was hearing of so many teachers who were deeply involved in integrating these practices ten years ago, some of whom who have gone on to write or practice in these areas. Of course, book publishing being what it is, while there are great sources, many are already now 20 years old, so one drawback to this book is the lack of truly contemporary resources.
Nevertheless, there were useful ideas to glean from this. I found the sections written by Barbezat (there are sections clearly by Barbezat and others clearly by coauthor Mirabai Bush) as less relatable. Some references throughout could have benefitted by more attention to the rhetoric in terms of the wording and the attitude revealed by that. I found myself marking up this book a lot (thanks Thrift Books!) and crossing out "students" to write in "people" and questioning "most" or "very few" as in statements such as: "Most students prefer the idea of changing others and changing the world to actually changing themselves" and "Very few students have developed the capacity for [true, deep] listening." I personally don't see as much difference here between my students and the rest of the world, faculty and administrators included, and yet don't see the problem to be so expansive--I see compassion, caring, and thoughtful students all the time and whose capacities for accepting change and engaging in meaningful listening to not be much different than their "grown-ups" in the room.
All the more reason, though, to help inculcate these skills now so that we have more leaders who truly listen and don't just try to be the loudest voice in the room. We all need to be more mindful and aware, listen more to each other, and realize, as this book points out, that the emotional reality of our students (and, I would say, our faculty), are critical to make a priority and support. Burnout is real, both as learners and teachers. We need to integrate our awareness of the whole person into what we do in higher education and K-12 as well. If politicians, administrators, and school boards allow us to do so, teachers could make improvements that will help our young people more into their lives with more confidence and ability to help the world--help that is sorely needed.
It's interesting to see that this book was published ten years ago and so many concerns were already apparent then. Surprising to me was hearing of so many teachers who were deeply involved in integrating these practices ten years ago, some of whom who have gone on to write or practice in these areas. Of course, book publishing being what it is, while there are great sources, many are already now 20 years old, so one drawback to this book is the lack of truly contemporary resources.
Nevertheless, there were useful ideas to glean from this. I found the sections written by Barbezat (there are sections clearly by Barbezat and others clearly by coauthor Mirabai Bush) as less relatable. Some references throughout could have benefitted by more attention to the rhetoric in terms of the wording and the attitude revealed by that. I found myself marking up this book a lot (thanks Thrift Books!) and crossing out "students" to write in "people" and questioning "most" or "very few" as in statements such as: "Most students prefer the idea of changing others and changing the world to actually changing themselves" and "Very few students have developed the capacity for [true, deep] listening." I personally don't see as much difference here between my students and the rest of the world, faculty and administrators included, and yet don't see the problem to be so expansive--I see compassion, caring, and thoughtful students all the time and whose capacities for accepting change and engaging in meaningful listening to not be much different than their "grown-ups" in the room.
All the more reason, though, to help inculcate these skills now so that we have more leaders who truly listen and don't just try to be the loudest voice in the room. We all need to be more mindful and aware, listen more to each other, and realize, as this book points out, that the emotional reality of our students (and, I would say, our faculty), are critical to make a priority and support. Burnout is real, both as learners and teachers. We need to integrate our awareness of the whole person into what we do in higher education and K-12 as well. If politicians, administrators, and school boards allow us to do so, teachers could make improvements that will help our young people more into their lives with more confidence and ability to help the world--help that is sorely needed.
January 18, 2021
Excellent resource for higher education
May 27, 2019
I like the message, but was a bit floored that arts-based educational methods were not directly mentioned at all. Overall, I felt like it dragged in defining terms and was not very useful for me as an educator.
December 5, 2022
Багато цікавого для вищої освіти. Тут не лише про застосування різних методик споглядання, про їхній вплив, але й про різні формати для студентів. Не лише філософи і релігієзнавці можуть це застосовувати - що дуже надихає.
Книжка, яка може бути формою практичного, вже прикладного маніфесту для аналогічних ініціатив. Щось схоже до Гарольда Рота, тільки у розгорнутій формі книги, а не статті.
Книжка, яка може бути формою практичного, вже прикладного маніфесту для аналогічних ініціатив. Щось схоже до Гарольда Рота, тільки у розгорнутій формі книги, а не статті.
December 31, 2016
Excellent! Many strategies I hope to implement next semester. One of the things I really liked about this book was the practical strategies and real of how those strategies have been used in various disciplines.
The authors continually emphasized, however, that before you can use these strategies in the classroom, you should use them yourself--have a mindfulness practice yourself. That is the first step I have to implement.
The authors continually emphasized, however, that before you can use these strategies in the classroom, you should use them yourself--have a mindfulness practice yourself. That is the first step I have to implement.
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May 10, 2016Had to return it to the library before I finished it. I need to request it again.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews