The resilience of soul
pp. 125-136
in: Timothy Leonard, Peter Willis (eds), Pedagogies of the imagination, Berlin, Springer, 2008Abstract
This chapter describes how the systems of higher education can smother the soul through institutional policies and procedures, mandated curriculum, and social expectations and norms. Yet the soul is resilient, and educators face their constraints and continue to believe in soulful teaching and learning. Using the stories from my own practice, I suggest that we should bring back the soul through mythopoetic pedagogy. Reciprocal story-telling, creating and beholding artistic work, and crafting evocative experiences are some of the ways we can engage in mythopoetic pedagogy. We can create joyful learning and connect deeply and meaningfully with each other.