Pedagogy of Being Present: An Inquiry into the Unconditional Communion of Listening

Abstract

This thesis considers a phenomenological approach to ways in which children manifest experiences of trauma in schools, and views their behaviours as imbued with meanings. The language of trauma is hermeneutically re-interpreted as opportunities for educators to listen deeply in ways that might enable healing to occur. Vortices of narrative inquiry consider how acts of listening with divine human attention create invitations to understand more deeply self and other, and allow for emancipative possibilities.