Teaching with Higher Senses: A Scholarly Personal Narrative about the Influence of Contemplative Practices on the Student–Teacher Relationship in an Elementary School Classroom

Abstract

This scholarly personal narrative explores the use of contemplative practices by teachers to support the development of authentic relationships with their students. The narrative demonstrates the value of contemplative practices in education by telling the story of the author’s first seven years as a Waldorf teacher and the contemplative practices cultivated to forge deeper connections with students, heal relational wounds with parents, and overcome relational challenges with colleagues. Supported by current research, the story reveals the potential of evening meditation and dream analysis, a contemplative practice known as dream incubation, to open a teacher’s higher senses to insights, inspiration, and intuition about their work and their students. Through research on dream science, psychology, and the historic accounts of spiritual dreams, the narrative illuminates the complexity of dreaming and the need for many disciplinary perspectives in understanding the abundant harvest dreams offer. The findings acknowledge fears related to student-focused meditations and offer practical methods to mitigate such fears. The scholarly personal narrative concludes by encouraging teachers to courageously cultivate deeper relationships with each of their students through the practice of dream incubation.