THEME: The vocational archetype stands behind the character of the teacher's personality, focusing lessons on both the intellectual and personality development of students. Teachers discover the vocational archetype in themselves through trial and error. The teacher-student relationship in the autonomy of the classroom inspires the mind and nurtures the character of the soul. However, consciousness of mind and soul are different. Soul consciousness has an imagistic nature that can see the spiritual archetype that stands behind the individual personality. The child archetype is depicted in many cultures as the "divine child." The archetype of the adolescent is the hero. The vocational archetype of the teacher is expressed in personality and character, nurturing the archetypal characteristics in the personalities of the students. However, many teachers have lost touch with the archetypal characteristics of their vocation and must seek the vocational archetype on their own, through trial and error. This book is a portrait of one teacher's process of seeking the vocational archetype. Experiences with students are a major part of the process. The other part is to find and defend a classroom philosophy that evokes the teacher archetype in front of the students, their parents, and the administration. The author will inspire, encourage, and empower teachers who are seeking the vocational archetype in themselves, and give voice to the vocational archetype in our school communities and in our culture.
(About the Author) Robert Mitchell retired after 27 years as a secondary classroom teacher in multiple subjects in both public and private schools. He now writes, lectures, and gives workshops on education, child development, and democracy. This book precedes a second book on the K-12 curriculum.
