MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

One of my favourite books about the lives of educators asks experienced teachers to share what sustains their passion and courage for the very difficult and sometimes heartbreaking vocation of teaching. Their poetic and emotional responses affirm that teaching involves so much more than designing a great lesson or efficiently managing a classroom. Experienced teachers recognize, like Plato, that to teach is to "turn the soul" of a learner and that the teacher's soul is also "turned" in the process. It is this eternal and relational aspect that draws most of us to the profession and gives us the most hope and joy. We want to make a difference in the lives of young people and to help them build meaningful and healthy futures. However, very quickly our experiences teach us that standing on the holy ground of another person's being is a complex and mysterious process and that our ideals cannot be easily realized.

Any program can prepare you to teach lessons, assess learning and manage a classroom environment efficiently, and our program does that exceedingly well. However, we also want to ensure that...

• you hear a call to teach that rings with truth of what it means to be a child, a learner, a teacher
• you come to cherish the imaginative and complex work of seeing understanding and wonder dawn in your learners' eyes
• you experience the edges of your influence as a teacher without losing hope
• you find your sources of strength and wisdom that will help you hold on through times of challenge
• you discover what it means to pay attention to the holy moments of love, joy, growth and peace that occur to remind you that you are partner with God in your work, and
• you recognize the importance of caring for all, seeing all, hearing all, embracing all.

Kimberly Franklin
Dean, School of Education
kimberly.franklin@twu.ca