The Hidden Wholeness: Paradox in Teaching and Learning

Parker Palmer through his chapter on The Hidden Wholeness: Paradox in Teaching and Learning explains profoundly what we go through as persons. I felt strongly that the chapter spoke so many things about my life. I felt some of the times, I went through a world of education which is filled with broken paradoxes and with the lifeless results where we separate teaching from learning. When I was in my second year of Master in Science, I felt that I really did not love my subject physics, though I did well in my studies. I went through a lot of personal reflection. I asked myself the question in what way this subject is helping me to be better person. I realized that the learning I am having is just result oriented. I felt that I was disengaged with my studies though I liked physics. I felt something was missing in our education system which was so much based on the objective mode of learning which failed to make this subject connect to my life.
I fully agree with Palmer on his idea to have a rich dialectic of solitude and community. I always felt the tension to keep a delicate balance between these two profound polarities of human life. I believe that in many ways my formation in the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) has helped me to grow in this aspect of balance though the tension remains and it will remain. But I have a choice either to make it creative or destructive. Many people ask me here whether I feel home sick. I always tell them that wherever I go and live, I try to make it as my home.
I believe that there is a greater need for today’s world to understand the concept of paradox as presented by Palmer. Everyone needs to realize that we are related to one another, and the cosmos through many different ways which need to be explored. I really like the message presented in James Cameroon’s movie, Avatar. We need to experience what Nabi people in Pandora experienced, though the movie is mythical.