Questioning the Influence of a Spiritual Lens on Teaching, Empathy Building, and Meaning Making in a Community College: A Duoethnography

ABSTRACT

In this study, we examined our understanding of the way our spiritual lens informed our practice as mathematics instructors. In this duoethnography, we conceptualize our work through a servant leadership model and employed it to understand our approach to our students, teaching, and classroom environment. The data for this study consisted of our written exchanges in response to multiple questions focused on the perceptions of our students and our practice. Throughout our exchange we described the way our spiritual lens provided a way to perceive our work. Three findings emerged from the data: (a) the imperative that our teaching support student connections and success in our classes; (b) our need to develop empathy recognizing the innate value of our students; and (c) that we must break through to the affective to engage holistic approaches in this technical discipline. We conclude that incorporating these findings with a sensitivity toward the affective supports our work toward developmental mathematics student success.

KEYWORDS:

• Empathy
• duoethnography
• servant leadership
• spirituality