Nourishing spirit through the missing voice of silence in schools

This qualitative study explores how planned school silence is experienced in a Quaker school community. Specifically, do teachers perceive that planned silence helps build a caring classroom which fosters development of inter- and intrapersonal skills? The research questions explored are: (1) What is the purpose of silence in the Quaker school community? (2) What goals do teachers have when they deploy strategic silence in a Quaker school? (3) What changes do teachers perceive in Quaker classroom dynamics in relation to the planned silence in the school day? (4) Do teachers perceive changes in their relationships with students and amongst students in relation to planned silence? (5) Do teachers perceive connections between the use of silence in a Quaker school and the development of a caring classroom community?;Silence has been, for the most part, ignored by educators as a tool for learning and self-discovery. Long considered a strictly religious experience, educators have shied away from the exercise of silence, and have not developed an appreciation of its possibility for learning about the self and others. This grounded research, conducted in a naturalistic setting, looks at silence as a form of pedagogy.;By attending silent Meeting for Worship at a Quaker school in the Midwest, and discussing the experiences of silence with staff, I was able to highlight teachers' perceptions as they deploy non-punitive, communal silence. Since teacher perceptions are limited in that they are individual and subjective, broad generalizations are not made from this study. Teachers believe that silence: (1) is a pathway to develop physical, mental, social and spiritual awareness; (2) contributes to and supports the development of a caring community; (3) is a very personal experience; (4) contributes to the education of the whole child; and (5) builds the capacity for intra and interpersonal skills. They describe a path that is strewn with barriers, which teachers have worked with students to overcome. Ultimately, teachers believe that the practice of silence potentially leads to a life which is more joyful.