Reflect on the concept of “soft eyes” (p. 113). Think of a situation where having “soft eyes” might have helped you in the classroom. Describe what happened, how you reacted, and how you would have liked to react.

When speaking of the soft eyes the writer refers to open the eyes of us first to see what's around, so we have as a resource and time to educate. But we must see the beautiful things of life around us, then we can invite our students to appreciate this and enter the world of the mysteries surrounding us that cannot possibly come to understand but are a gift which there to appreciate and care. This can help in the classroom that also invite our students to see more of what is around them, invite them to appreciate every single detail. As a result, the students learn to broaden their perspectives and periphery that they have the world around them.

3. As a student, did you have courses that made you a participant in the community of truth gathered around that subject? If so, describe how they worked. Compare their impact to courses that simply introduced you to the facts about the subject. Do you think “the community of truth” is an accurate image of the way knowledge is gathered in your field? Why or why not? Reflect on the concept of “soft eyes” (p. 113). Think of a situation where having “soft eyes” might have helped you in the classroom. Describe what happened, how you reacted, and how you would have liked to react.

As a student throughout the all the career, I participated in activities in which I shared with my fellow community as many of my teachers taught by creating a space in which the community of truth is practiced. The hallmark of the community of truth is not the psychological intimacy or political or pragmatic accountability civility, while not excluding these virtues. By practicing the truth in the community I've noticed that it works best to integrate each group member as to know everyone in the group his thoughts and how they act when participating in community known. Therefore it has been one of the best experiences so more is known about this topic and then put it into practice as a teacher with students. With what I have read in this chapter I also realized that this model of community reaches deeper in ontology and assumptions epistemology about the nature of reality and how we know it-on which all education is built. The hallmark of the community of truth is in its assertion that reality is a network of community relations, and we know the reality just by being in community with him. To my community the truth if an accurate picture of knowledge when taking into account each of the elements essential to carry out the first step toward understanding the community really understand that the community is the essential form reality, the matrix of all being, that is, we're all on the right to belong to a community. The next step brings us the nature of reality to the question of how we know to be in community with ourselves. If you do not know what we want, or what they are far less power will be in community with others. So the community is to collect all knowledge and then put it into practice.

2. Do you feel a “sense of community” with each subject you study? What is the nature of that relationship? How has your relationship with your subject enriched your life? Stretched your life? Challenged your life? Changed your life?

1.     With each topic that I had studied, I felt community. At first I know myself I could then meet my classmates and having a good relationship. Although, often not coincide with the views you try to learn from the opinions of others and to accept the group to which one belongs. When studying each topic you share with peers and creates connectivity between each, the nature of this relationship is to recognize that most of us will achieve true intimacy with only a handful of people in life, without try to force anyone to belong to our group. Respecting each of the members and the ideas of others. My relationship with each of the members who have enriched my ability to belong to a community and understand that it is a community was acceptable and was based on fear losing the relationship and communication with them. Since I have been challenged to be different, to accept the opinions of others and solve problems together, so it has changed my life in a positive way because as the same chapter the model of community that I look says it is one that can embrace, guide, and refine the core mission of education-the mission of knowing, teaching and learning.

1. Write about an experience of community, of any duration, that has been meaningful to you (letting community mean whatever it may mean to you). What went on in that situation that made it “community” for you? What was going on in you at that time that made you available to this community?

One of the most meaningful experiences of community for me was when I started to study in the university, because I did not know anyone and to staying in group or community was hard for me. Since I started the career I was very shy and I made it difficult to make friends with others and I know that the community can not take root in a divided life which began to realize that I had to stay in a group. When you start dealing with others I realized that just because they are in communion with ourselves we find community with others as I have read in this chapter, for only then can come to know ourselves while we get to know to others. Community is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace, flowing identity and personal integrity in the world of relationships. Therefore to interact with others I could understand that I had to show me as I am not trying to impress anyone, without losing my identity and learning to accept others. As a result of this experience is one that most marked me when talking of the community understand that and to me it seemed to me difficult to belong to a community and it happens to many people especially our students many times we do not realize it but they do not feel welcome or comfortable with their peers. Since they do not understand that community building is essential. First, the students have a basic need to belong to a group; at first I was a little uninformed use of strategies to connect students to each other and to me. As Mr. Palmer does point out, it was messy, and I've certainly learned a lot. Fortunately, now are the importance of community and the importance of staying in it.

CHAPTER FOUR: KNOWING IN COMMUNITY: JOINED BY THE GRACE OF GREAT THINGS

Community is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace, the flowing of personal identity and integrity into the world of relationships.  Only as we are in community with ourselves can we find community with others.
As the community of truth gathers around a “great thing,” it is “the grace of great things” that evokes the virtues we cherish in education: celebrating diversity, embracing ambiguity, welcoming creative conflict, practicing honesty, and experiencing humility.
 
Another concept of community is that a community is a social unit of any size that shares common values. Although embodied or face-to-face communities are usually small, larger or more extended communities such as a national community, international community and virtual community are also studied.

In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks, and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness.

5.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?

Every morning is different because we have new challenges not only as teachers but also in everyday life. When neither imagined he could become a teacher woke without aspirations or goals to accomplish. But now everything is different always have to improve some areas of my life and that is why I wake up motivated to move forward no matter the obstacles. In order to be better every day and give my best to my students. Since I have a big challenge on my hands and learning the English language depends a lot on me. From the way the reason I go ahead and how I relate to them so that learning is optimal. I keep every challenge every day because only then I will be able to fulfill my dreams striving to achieve what I want and how I want my students to be. So these are many of the questions with which I can get up every morning thinking to motivate me to be different.

4. 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.

Para mi the space should welcome both silence and speech , I consider this paradox into my classes, because the invironment of my class has both  silence and speech, I give to my students the oppotunity to talk and share their ideas at the momento to explain something or simply talk about doubts or something like that, both of them work so good , they are two important tools for be an effective class, in order to recognize in which areas I can improve to my students, for example: I give my students 5 or 10 minutes for tell me if they have some problems with the topic or they want to share their knowledge with their classmates, at the same time they may think in silence about this and then they can share their ideas.