Yes, and … cultivating the art of conversation through improvisational classroom experiences

This chapter talks about the role of teaching teams in the development of reflective professional teachers in the service of integrative learning. It begins by introducing the reader to the ideas and principles of learner-centeredness and its resonance to integrative learning. The chapter considers the importance of the learning environment to the cultivation of learner-centeredness. It also describes the context in which team teaching has been adopted as a vehicle for promoting and supporting teacher professional development. Learner-centered teaching is an essential prerequisite for integrative learning. Emphasis is on the learner assimilating new knowledge to their store of knowledge. For integrative learning to occur, learner-centered teaching, which places the learner and their learning center stage, must be evident. The traditional teacher-centered approach values ideas over experience or action, as evident in presenting principles before practice, whereas the learner-centered approach emphasizes the role of experience and active learning. To the 2012/2013 MBS class: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I will meet you there”-Rumi.