Reclaim your fire. '"Teaching with Fire" is a glorious collection of the poetry that has restored the faith of teachers in the highest, most transcendent values of their work with children...Those who want us to believe that teaching is a technocratic and robotic skill devoid of art or joy or beauty need to read this powerful collection. So, for that matter, do we all' - Jonathan Kozol, author of "Amazing Grace and Savage Inequalities". 'When reasoned argument fails, poetry helps us make sense of life. A few well-chosen images, the spinning together of words creates a way of seeing where we came from and lights up possibilities for where we might be going...Dip in, read, and ponder; share with others. It's inspiration in the very best sense' - Deborah Meier, co-principal of The Mission Hill School, Boston and founder of a network of schools in East Harlem, New York.'In the Confucian tradition it is said that the mark of a golden era is that children are the most important members of the society and teaching is the most revered profession. Our journey to that ideal may be a long one, but it is books like this that will sustain us - for who are we all at our best save teachers, and who matters more to us than the children?' - Peter M. Senge, founding chair, SoL (Society for Organizational Learning) and author of "The Fifth Discipline".Those of us who care about the young and their education must find ways to remember what teaching and learning are really about. We must find ways to keep our hearts alive as we serve our students. Poetry has the power to keep us vital and focused on what really matters in life and in schooling. "Teaching with Fire" is a wonderful collection of eighty-eight poems from such well-loved poets as Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Billy Collins, Emily Dickinson, and Pablo Neruda. Each of these evocative poems is accompanied by a brief story from a teacher explaining the significance of the poem in his or her life's work. This beautiful book also includes an essay that describes how poetry can be used to grow both personally and professionally. "Teaching With Fire" was written in partnership with the Center for Teacher Formation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Royalties from this book will be used to fund scholarship opportunities for teachers to grow and learn.

Praise for Living the Questions

"Living the Questions is a tribute to a great man by those he has awakened to their own unique greatness. This is a book about love, courage, community, integrity, service, and humility, with a single message: to teach is to be immortal. Living the Questions is a profound testimony to our power to make a difference in this world, one heart at a time."
--Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings

"Attests to the pervasive infectiousness of Parker J. Palmer's gentle touch, soulful honesty, and deep inquiry into the service of authenticity and clarity. A collection of extraordinary and extraordinarily moving explorations of the inner and outer landscapes of our minds and hearts and world! There is much wisdom here from authors who have shared so much of themselves and their struggles, very much in the tradition of Palmer himself. Not to be missed. A gift of pure passion and compassion."
--Jon Kabat-Zinn, author, Coming to Our Senses

"In A Hidden Wholeness, Parker J. Palmer writes that in refusing to move to the back of the bus Rosa Parks was choosing to live divided no more. That's the choice we made in the Civil Rights movement. It was a good and right choice, as important now as it was then. Living the Questions tells of others who also walk toward wholeness."
--John Lewis, Georgia representative; coauthor, Walking with the Wind; recipient, Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize

"A remarkable collection of essays that beautifully captures the profound influence that Parker J. Palmer has had. Reading Living the Questions is encouraging, a great reminder of one of Parker's favoriteexhortations: 'Be not afraid!'"
--Larry C. Spears, editor and coauthor, Practicing Servant Leadership; president and CEO, The Robert K. Greenleaf Center, Indianapolis, Indiana

"Prepare for a delectable conversation with poetic people, all of whom have been profoundly influenced by Parker J. Palmer."
--Geoff Bellman, consultant; author, The Consultant's Calling

Each and every day teachers show up in their classrooms with a relentless sense of optimism. Despite the complicated challenges of schools, they come to and remain in the profession inspired by a conviction that through education they can move individuals and society to a more promising future. In Teaching with Heart: Poetry that Speaks to the Courage to Teach a diverse group of ninety teachers describe the complex of emotions and experiences of the teaching life joy, outrage, heartbreak, hope, commitment and dedication. Each heartfelt commentary is paired with a cherished poem selected by the teacher. The contributors represent a broad array of educators: K-12 teachers, principals, superintendents, college professors, as well as many non-traditional teachers. They range from first year teachers to mid-career veterans to those who have retired after decades in the classroom. They come from inner-city, suburban, charter and private schools. The teachers identified an eclectic collection of poems and poets from Emily Dickinson, to Richard Wright, to Mary Oliver to the rapper Tupac Shakur. It is a book by teachers and for all who teach. The book also includes a poignant Foreword by Parker J. Palmer (The Courage to Teach), a stirring Introduction by Taylor Mali (What Teachers Make), and a moving Afterword by Sarah Brown Wessling (Teaching Channel). Where Teaching with Fire honored and celebrated the work of teachers; Teaching with Heart salutes the tenacious and relentless optimism of teachers and their belief that despite the many challenges and obstacles of the teaching life, much is possible.

We treasure the occasions when a classroom of students becomes totally focused, absorbed by ideas. How can teachers make these special moments happen more often? Every teacher has powerful memories of becoming swept up in an electric moment when the classroom hums with energy and students are wholly engaged in learning. During such moments of real learning, teenagers find genuine meaning, worth, and value in their academic experiences. And their teachers find in these heightened and exuberant moments the embodiment of their best hopes and ideals as educators. How can such "teachable moments" be encouraged? What can teachers do to inspire more of these educationally vital episodes? In this compelling book, Sam M. Intrator scrutinizes powerful learning moments in a high school classroom. He offers five detailed portraits of these experiences, describing in each case how the teacher shaped the culture of the class, made critical pedagogical decisions, and connected students to the subject matter. Intrator confirms that seemingly magical learning moments can becultivated, and he suggests numerous practical ideas to help teachers do so.