Rating: 
Summary: Good Foundational Read
Review: Palmer's writings are insightful and very pertinent to developing an educational framework for teaching, although written over 20 years ago. Themes of critical thinking, ethics, and emotions all tie together into a book that helps challenge current conceptions of what's important in teaching, as well as what we need to continue to think about.
Fact versus theory, objective versus reality, objectivism versus truth are all opposites Palmer speaks in. Palmer's work can be one-sided, but if an author's objective is to stir reader's soul and emotions, then mission accomplished.
Not the quickest read, but one that will make you think - and one you can pull at least a couple of concepts from to help you form your educational theories for teaching.
Rating: 
Summary: opening new worlds for the classroom
Review: Parker Palmer is so correct in presenting his innovative ideas for contructing better learning environments. Long gone are the days when the conventional methods of assigned seats, lectures, and authoritative teaching rule the school. Palmer suggest terrific ways to create a safe learning environment where everyone feels valued and that they have an opinion that matters.
If you have ever been frustrated with the status quo; spend some time getting to know Palmers methods. Palmer has taken spiritual education to a level that meets the needs of today's learners.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting insights, yet not practical for some...
Review: Parker Palmer's book definitely suggests new ideas with respect to modern education. He argues that there are two ways of knowing: via a hierarchical model (expert to students), as seen in most higher education classrooms, and the community model (knowers teaching one another) which seems to better engage the learning community. While I believe that his ideas for transforming education are insightful, personally, the last chapter of his book (The Spiritual Formation of Teachers) was the most memorable. His thoughts on the value of solitude and prayer hit home with me, yet I can see how secular educators may find these comments to be a bit off the mark.
When I initially read this book, I found it compelling at times, yet now, reflecting back, I realize I didn't absorb much from the experience. Understanding how "the mind and the heart can work together" for learning is definitely important, but is probably most useful for those teaching in a religious environment.
Rating:
Summary: A must read¿period.
Review: This book appears to be a teacher-oriented book, but it is in fact a book for those interested in knowing themselves better, which then is integrated into their teaching. Palmer deals with life seen through the eyes of truth, which includes teaching. This book not only helped my teaching, but also my faith, my knowledge of myself, and how to really interact with others. This book has reshaped how I think about life and teaching. Good teaching comes from our personal development, and you cannot separate them in any way.
Rating:
Summary: Pushing in a needed direction
Review: This book begins by letting us know that we can function out of a faith life that allows the heart and mind to work together. We have moved into a time where we seem too often to function out of the mind leaving the heart behind. Today we take action against others out of our ability to do so not necessarily looking with the eye of the heart and the repercussions to follow.
Palmer encourages us to work with one another. To value each other in the learning process. We have been created co-creators. It is from this knowing that we can move forward together instead of one above another.
This book challenges us to feel. It challenges us to know one another. This is not about simply imparting information from one person to many but to gather together all that we are and move forward from it.
Be prepared to grow.
Rating:
Summary: A Guide to Help Education Recover Its Roots
Review: This book helped me to deepen my understanding of education as learning rather than mere schooling. Palmer's voice needs to be heard by many now crusading for education reform if schools are to live up to their potential for spiritual transformation and cultural renewal. In my experience, authentic learning, and therefore education, is a kind of spiritual formation from a postmodern perspective. This essential aspect of schooling is in danger of being lost amidst the clamor from religious and professional educators and evangelists who are proponents of the merely conventional or sectarian.
Rating:
Summary: A Call for Teachers to Teach Meaningfully
Review: What I carried away from this short book is this: Teacher's need to create a culture in their classrooms that involves these three things, Openness, Boundaries, and Hospitality. Meditating on these three elements gives me motivation to strive to achieve a balance in my own teaching using these elements, creating volume with these three dimensions. Openness allows for freedom to pursue ideas and skills with curiosity and creativity; Boundaries allows for discipline and focus in achieving educational goals, and Hospitality allows for the respect and responsibility that must be at the heart of all human endeavors to appear and flourish.A little tip, though: After the first chapter, for me, the book really took off. At first, I felt that he was somewhat vague and inspecific in what he wanted to write about, but thereafter, he filled each chapter with meditative, thoughtful, yet practical talk about significant teaching goals and practices. I think reading Palmer on Education is akin to reading Rollo May on Psychology. You will be a better person at the end of your reading.
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