The Wisdom Way of Teaching

Book excerpt: Immense challenges now face the global community. How can educators train the next generation of students to deal with the vast array of issues awaiting them in every sector of society? Written as a testimony to three decades of experimentation with these challenges in mind, Hong Kong International School humanities teacher Dr. Marty Schmidt draws upon the universal Wisdom tradition to propose pedagogical frameworks that combine what he calls the yang of social conscience with the yin of inner awakening. This yin-yang approach forms the basis of the The Wisdom Way of Teaching, which describes in curricular detail how to cultivate the whole person development of students. ENDORSEMENTS: “The Wisdom Way of Teaching is both a manifesto and a manual of what transformative education needs to be in the years to come. I felt inspired to read about the impact of a holistic curriculum that integrates service-learning and spiritual practice. Brick by brilliant brick, Marty Schmidt builds that all-important bridge between the inner world and the outer world. The principles and practices that Marty lays out in generous detail can be applied to classrooms of all kinds and ages. I wish every teacher could read this book!” — Fran Grace, University of Redlands “For secondary teachers and other educators working at the intersection of social justice and spirituality, Marty’s book offers practical examples, creative activities, and cross-cultural teaching stories from a lifetime of impassioned teaching. Informed by his deep study of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, this book comes from the heart of a teacher, infused with contemplative insight, and inspired by a love of the world — the broken world that is and the better world that could be.” — Vachel Miller, Appalachian State University