--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Teaching, like any truly human activity…" description: "\"Teaching, like any truly human activity, emerges from one's inwardness, for better or worse. As I teach I project the condition of my soul onto my stud..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c59/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-e_72398.png" --- # Teaching, like any truly human activity, emerges from… ![“Teaching, like any truly human activity, emerges from one's inwardness, for better or worse. As I teach I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject, and our way of being together. The entanglements I experience in the classroom are often no more or less than the convolutions of…” quote by Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c59/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-e_72398.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c59/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-e_72398.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c59/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-e_72398.png) > “Teaching, like any truly human activity, emerges from one's inwardness, for better or worse. As I teach I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject, and our way of being together. The entanglements I experience in the classroom are often no more or less than the convolutions of my inner life. Viewed from this angle, teaching holds a mirror to the soul. If I am willing to look in that mirror and not run from what I see, I have a chance to gain self-knowledge-and knowing myself is as crucial to good teaching as knowing my students and my subject.” [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teaching reflects the teacher's inner state; self-awareness is essential for authentic instruction. **In simple terms:** Teaching is a mirror of the soul. Key Takeaway Self-knowledge improves teaching. Themes self-awareness authenticity pedagogy reflection inner life Mood introspective thoughtful inspired Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - preparing lesson plans - classroom discussions - mentor training Key Concepts mirror metaphor teacher-student relationship personal growth Practical Applications - teacher development workshops - reflective journaling for educators Questions to Reflect On - How does a teacher's inner life affect student learning? - What practices foster self-awareness in educators? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-together/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Classroom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classroom/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Entanglement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entanglement/) [Good teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-teaching/) [Human activity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-activity/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Inner life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-life/) [Knowing myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-myself/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-knowledge/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) ## Related quotes > [“Teaching holds a mirror to the soul. If I am willing to look in that mirror and not run from what I see I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/teaching-holds-a-mirror-to-the-soul-if-i-am-willing-to-look-in-that/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [“A good teaching technique is fine, but there is no substitute for knowing more than the students know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-baranek/a-good-teaching-technique-is-fine-but-there-is-no-substitute-for/) Dave Baranek > [Teaching like any truly human activity emerges from one's inwardness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-emerges-from-one-s-inwardness-2/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [“And when grades come up in my coaching conversations (and they always do), I find myself asking teachers what forms of student evidence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-r-sweeney/and-when-grades-come-up-in-my-coaching-conversations-and-they-always/) Diane R Sweeney > [Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/good-teaching-cannot-be-reduced-to-technique-good-teaching-comes-from/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Good teaching comes from good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/good-teaching-comes-from-good-people/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [As a teacher and parent, I've had a very personal interest in seeking new ways of teaching. Like most other teachers and parents, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-edwards/as-a-teacher-and-parent-i-ve-had-a-very-personal-interest-in-seeking/) [Betty Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-edwards/) > [The reason I love teaching, it's like being a miner. I find all these undiscovered jewels and, with the right motivation, they're amazed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafe-esquith/the-reason-i-love-teaching-it-s-like-being-a-miner-i-find-all-these/) [Rafe Esquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafe-esquith/) > [“Teaching is like having a bank account. You can happily draw on it while it is well supplied with new funds; otherwise you're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-r-braithwaite/teaching-is-like-having-a-bank-account-you-can-happily-draw-on-it/) [E.R. Braithwaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-r-braithwaite/) > [I have always admired teachers because teaching, like the priesthood, medicine and writing, is a vocation. You don't become a teacher because you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/i-have-always-admired-teachers-because-teaching-like-the-priesthood/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Teaching is like trying to hold 35 corks underwater at once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/teaching-is-like-trying-to-hold-35-corks-underwater-at-once/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Teaching is almost like an act of prayer for me. I feel that I am present at the intersection of people and ideas in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-brown/teaching-is-almost-like-an-act-of-prayer-for-me-i-feel-that-i-am/) [Erica Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-brown/) > [“...teaching is like playing jazz. Even if you perform the same number over and over, it never comes out the same twice, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-babbie/teaching-is-like-playing-jazz-even-if-you-perform-the-same-number/) Earl Babbie > [Housework is a breeze. Cooking is a pleasant diversion. Putting up a retaining wall is a lark. But teaching is like climbing a mountain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawn-m-brodie/housework-is-a-breeze-cooking-is-a-pleasant-diversion-putting-up-a/) [Fawn M. Brodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawn-m-brodie/) > [In teaching, I like being able to present clips from movies on VHS or DVD and then talk about them. That's what this movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-andersen/in-teaching-i-like-being-able-to-present-clips-from-movies-on-vhs-or/) [Thom Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-andersen/) ## More by Parker J. Palmer > [“The God I know is the source of reality, rather than morality; the source of 'what is' rather than the source of 'what ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/the-god-i-know-is-the-source-of-reality-rather-than-morality-the/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [One of the hardest things we must do sometimes is to be present to another person's pain without trying to "fix" it, to simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/one-of-the-hardest-things-we-must-do-sometimes-is-to-be-present-to/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Opposing what's wrong is a halfway measure at best. A rebel must also have a vision for something better, a strategy for moving toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/opposing-what-s-wrong-is-a-halfway-measure-at-best-a-rebel-must-also/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [If my life is any example, the work that youth workers are doing is very, very important. It tends to get marginalized in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/if-my-life-is-any-example-the-work-that-youth-workers-are-doing-is/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Self-care is never a selfish act - it is only good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/self-care-is-never-a-selfish-act-it-is-only-good-stewardship-of-the/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [The spiritual life is about becoming more at home in your own skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/the-spiritual-life-is-about-becoming-more-at-home-in-your-own-skin/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [“Formation may be the best name for what happens in a circle of trust, because the word refers, historically, to soul work done in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/formation-may-be-the-best-name-for-what-happens-in-a-circle-of-trust/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Don't let anyone or anything rob you of the beauty and meaning at the heart of life. It's your birthright gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/don-t-let-anyone-or-anything-rob-you-of-the-beauty-and-meaning-at-the/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [“Citizenship is a way of being in the world rooted in the knowledge that I am a member of a vast community of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/citizenship-is-a-way-of-being-in-the-world-rooted-in-the-knowledge/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [I think the church needs to be much more countercultural than that and invite people into slowing down, into a "Be-still-and-know-that-I-am-God" mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/i-think-the-church-needs-to-be-much-more-countercultural-than-that/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [My high school, like most high schools, had a pretty rigid stratification system. Kids were clustered into groups - the studious ones, the athletes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/my-high-school-like-most-high-schools-had-a-pretty-rigid/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Death in various forms is sometimes comforting, while resurrection and new life can be demanding and threatening. If I lived as if resurrection were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/death-in-various-forms-is-sometimes-comforting-while-resurrection-and/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already posses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/discovering-vocation-does-not-mean-scrambling-toward-some-prize-just-2/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [It is because as we are, our hearts are closed, and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/it-is-because-as-we-are-our-hearts-are-closed-and-we-cannot-place-the/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Even though kids may have planned for months for the trip to Disneyland, some may be feeling very homesick, very forlorn, or very marginalized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/even-though-kids-may-have-planned-for-months-for-the-trip-to/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) [Explore all 143 Parker J. Palmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) ## More Activity quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Fighting's fun, man. It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [For the longest time, neuroscientists were forced to be passive observers of brain activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gero-miesenbock/for-the-longest-time-neuroscientists-were-forced-to-be-passive/) Gero Miesenbock > [Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/enjoyment-is-not-a-goal-it-is-a-feeling-that-accompanies-important/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have to consider everything I eat; I consider every activity I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kimball/i-have-to-consider-everything-i-eat-i-consider-every-activity-i-do/) [Charlie Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kimball/) > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) Browse all 3,263 Activity quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Teaching, like any truly human activity, emerges from one's inwardness, for better or worse. As I teach I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject, and our way of being together. The entanglements I experience in the classroom are often no more or less than the convolutions of my inner life. Viewed from this angle, teaching holds a mirror to the soul. If I am willing to look in that mirror and not run from what I see, I have a chance to gain self-knowledge-and knowing myself is as crucial to good teaching as knowing my students and my subject.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Parker J. Palmer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-emerges-from-one-s-inwardness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Activity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-emerges-from-one-s-inwardness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c59/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-e_72398.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c59/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-e_72398.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c59/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-e_72398.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Teaching, like any truly human activity, emerges from one's inwardness, for better or worse. As I teach I…” — Parker J. Palmer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Parker J. Palmer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Teaching, like any truly human activity,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-emerges-from-one-s-inwardness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-emerges-from-one-s-inwardness/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```