Originally, I added a few lines from a prose poem at the end of the compilation of reader responses to our queries about the questions teachers ask students. I wasn’t sure; the content fit, but it was poetry. My excellent editor called it a “swerve,” an aptly chosen word that describes quick movements in unexpected directions. Swerves are risky, unsettling experiences. Poetry rarely appears in academic writing, even informal writing like a column on teaching and learning. We decided to delete the poetic ending.
One Response
I sometimes feel that the academy has lost its “soul” in its inability to embrace the affective dimension of learning. Meanwhile research increasingly is pointing to our basic need for a positive affective environment in order for learning can take place. I long for the day when “academic” journals have greater space for poetry, personal narrative, and passion. The academy can only be enriched by a greater openness to the whole person. [I just noted how many affective words I have included in this response! :)]