ABSTRACT
Teaching well has always required courage. It may seem an extreme scenario, but from the very first day, teachers must move out of their fear zone. Veteran teachers know in their bones that they must exhibit courage in many forms as a regular part of their work, but they don’t often discuss it. Teachers, as Goldstein contends, have historically been at the forefront of advocacy and social change. The very idea of expertise has come under fire in many countries in recent years, especially in the United States. Good teachers connect emotionally with their students’ lives and circumstances. They get to know the neighborhoods their students inhabit, and in the best cases, they live in them. Preservice teacher education programs should converse openly with students about the courage needed to teach today, and, before being hired, teachers should be vetted for their ability to develop and enact such forms of courage.
