The Tact of Teaching: The Meaning of Pedagogical Thoughtfulness

by Max Van Manen

This thought-provoking book offers an original perspective on the meaning and practice of teaching as a reflective activity. Max van Manen defines pedagogical thoughtfulness as the way that educators grow, change, and deepen themselves as a result of reflecting on living with children. He shows how the processes of teaching require tact --an interpretive intelligence, a practical moral intuitiveness, a sensitivity and openness toward the child's subjectivity, and an improvisational resoluteness in dealing with children. All teachers -- current and future -- who are concerned about the "caring" aspects of their work will be inspired by this text.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1991

About the author

At present Max van Manen is involved is a post-retirement teaching program at the University of Alberta where he has been teaching the doctoral research seminar Phenomenological Research and Writing. In addition Max van Manen is working of several books on phenomenological methodology and pedagogy as an ethical practice.
http://www.maxvanmanen.com/

Reviews

[Seyed mohamad banaei · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was beyond my imagination. It changed my mind about education and teaching completely.
The meaning of tact is even deeper than it looks. Tactful teacher can not be tought or raised. Being a tactful teacher is more about listening to thoughtful experiences of tactful teachers.
The point that I loved in the book was that tact is neither an idealistic or theoretical concept, nor practical one. It is something in between. I as a practitioner in education found its examples and ideas more than useful.