Palmer writes that we are trained to “think the world apart,” dissecting it into either-ors, but we need to learn to “think the world together,” embracing opposites and appreciating paradoxes.
The principle of paradox can guide us in thinking about classroom dynamics—and in designing a teaching and learning space that can hold the community of truth.
 
In what ways have you experienced “suffering” as a student teacher? Has your suffering had any redemptive quality to it; that is, has it made you heart larger? What would help you deepen the redemptive quality of the suffering your experience in your work?

Well, when I hear the word suffering, I think of a difficult or painful situation.  It gives me the idea of enduring or allows something to happen. In these three years that I have been a student teacher, I can say that I do have had some difficulties, but I can’t say that I have suffered a lot because of this. One way I have experienced suffering is because of lack of time, sometimes I need to do something and I can’t. For example I sometimes lack time to prepare a lesson plan in the way I would like do it. Because of time I have to adjust it. Also it is like a suffering when you know that you have to do something, but you can’t, because you don’t have enough time.  Also, it kind of frustrated when you didn’t reach the lesson objectives, and you feel bad because thing didn’t turn out. Suffering has redemptive qualities; because when bad things happen to us this redeem us or save us from making the same mistakes. Suffering helps us to see things in a different perspective, so that we can make our work better, so that is why I think suffering has redemptive qualities that make our larger.

Name some of your key gifts or strengths as a teacher. Now name a struggle or difficulty you commonly have in teaching.  How do you understand the relation between your profile of giftedness and the kind of trouble you typically get into in the classroom?

Well, I think some of strengths as teacher are that I am patient,and  a quiet person and I like to think before speak, so that I can act in a calm way and show patience to my students. When something happens in the classroom I try to listen to students complaints and I also try to be patience with them. Also I tried to inspire confidence to my students by being a trusted person and by being flexible when possible. A difficulty that I have, it’s the enthusiastic that is something that it is sometimes challenging for me, because if I am enthusiastic in the classroom my students going to get bored.  Another struggle is with the time, sometimes I am not aware of the class time and as a result my students miss activities, so that is one thing I will to work on.  The relation between giftedness and trouble are related, because we all have strengths those are our gifts and weaknesses are troubles, so we aren’t perfect and the good and bad things we make are part of our identity and integrity as person, so we always going to be good at doing certain things but in others not, but the courage that we show with dealing with whatever circumstance will make the difference in our teaching.

Describe a moment in teaching when things went so well you knew you were “born to teach” and compare it to a moment in which things went so poorly you wished you had never been born! Name the gifts that made this good moment possible—not the techniques you used or the moves you made, but your qualities.

When I was in the second year of my teaching practicum, I remember that on the last week, I was teaching and at the end of the class some students approach to me and told me: teacher, we want you to give us classes next year, because we have learned with you and you´re really nice with us.

I felt good, because I could notice that I made things the best way possible. In that moment I knew I was born to teach. But, on the contrary, on one occasion the teacher didn´t come one day, so I had to be in charge of a section that I had not taught before. That section was the worst misbehaved, so it was challenging, because the students didn´t know me and they were disrespectful with me and didn´t pay attention. So, at that moment I wished I had never been born. The gifts that made that good moment possible I think were patience, confidence and interest in others.

Palmer discusses six paradoxes of pedagogical design (pp.73-83). Choose one to focus on.  Share examples of teaching environments you have experienced where this paradox is honored.  Have you ever been in a classroom where only half of the paradox was honored while the other half was ignored? Describe what that classroom was like.

I like the first paradox that is the space should be bounded and open. I have observed in several classrooms where this paradox is applied. For example, in a classroom I have had the opportunity to be in; I have noticed that the teacher uses this paradox. She has boundaries i.e. parameters or standards of conduct that student must follow. Sometimes when students are making noise she just count to three, and students know that they have to be silent. In that way, space is bounded and learning and teaching can take place, but at the same time, the space is open, because the students can express any doubt they might have or they can share their opinions about the topic. Also, they can speak so long as they talk about the class or another topic, but always showing respect.

What questions are you living at this stage of your life—from “How can I get up in the morning? To “ How can I become a good teacher? Are the questions you are now living the ones you want to live? If not, what questions would you like to be living? How might you hold these questions at the center of your attention?

Well,  I feel that at this stage of my life, I am happy the way I have lived my life. The force that makes me get up in the morning is the purpose that I have in life. Every morning, I thank God for the opportunity to be living, for having my family and for developing a career that I like. To have a sure hope for the future makes me also want to going on with my life, and that motivate me to do things good. I also think in how I can be good teacher, because I personally feel it is a great responsibility to be a teacher  and that we don´t have to take it for granted, because we are working with people, and they deserve to be taught in the best way possible. That´s why I am always thinking how I can be a good teacher and how I can  improve my teaching day by day.