In this article, David T. Hansen addresses a two-year-long philosophical conversation he initiated with a group of dedicated public school teachers who work in a metropolitan setting. The conversation was part of a larger inquiry pivoting around the questions of what it means to be a person in the world today, and what it means to be a person in…

In this sequel to his internationally acclaimed classic, "The Call to Teach," David Hansen revisits the idea of teaching as a calling in light of contemporary expectations in education. "Reimagining the Call to Teach" brings to life an ethical approach to teaching that is informed by an understanding of teaching's great…

Background/Context: This article introduces the special issue on reimagining research and practice at the crossroads of philosophy, teaching, and teacher education. The authors provide an overview of previous research at this "crossroads" and describe how the special issue collaborators have sought to chart fresh ground in light of…

In this article, the author elucidates the idea of bearing witness to teaching and teachers. The orientation derives from a philosophical and field-based inquiry pivoting around the questions What does it mean to be a person in the world today? and What does it mean to be a person in the role of teacher? From 2012 to 2014, the author interacted…

In this chapter, the author proposes to imagine the aims of the school in light of a cosmopolitan philosophy of education. The first section that follows provides a summary account of what the author takes cosmopolitanism to mean. The second section frames a philosophy of education that stems from this account. The third and penultimate section…

Background/ Context: In recent years, scholars the world over in both the social sciences and humanities have reanimated the ancient idea of cosmopolitanism. They discern in the idea ways in which people today can respond creatively to rapid social, political, cultural, and economic transformations. Scholars in this burgeoning field have examined…

The philosophical anthropology of John Dewey supported his organic picture of democratic life. This paper examines how Dewey's philosophical anthropology informed his conception of the educational environment, with emphasis on Dewey's understanding of how teachers can influence students through the intermediary of the environment. All teaching,…

The article addresses the question of whether or not Socrates was a Socratic teacher by exploring three issues from Plato's "Theaetetus": Socrates' assertion that he is an intellectual "midwife"; the problems in associating Socrates' love of conversation with teaching; and the question of whether or not Socrates' practices…

Teachers can have a moral impact on students in multiple and subtle ways. Several layers of moral meaning embedded in classroom teaching and the teacher's role are analyzed, regarding "moral" in the sense of mores (customary actions) and moral values. (SLD)

Examines ritualized beginning moments of three high school teachers' classes. Reveals the moral significance of what is treated as the routine of readying a class for instruction. Teachers and students are found to share assumptions which include a sense of responsibility, a respect for role, and a seriousness of purpose. (JS)

Reviews research on the personal dimensions of teaching and how teaching can be enriched by conceiving of it as a reflective and moral practice. Concludes that teacher behaviors can translate specifically into enacted social values such as civility, effort, and appreciation of subject-matter. (CFR)

The essay examines what an interest in teaching might comprise if the teacher believes it to be a vocation, arguing that the concept of vocation embodies both a public and a personal dimension and describes work with a social value and enduring personal meaning. (SM)