Whispering Selves and Reflective Transformations in the Internal Dialogue of Teachers and Students

Abstract

It is beyond debate that the way one perceives oneself is influenced by the way one speaks tooneself. Becoming aware of the conversations that take place within the mind has the potential toassist one in recognizing whether the internal voice is self-limiting or self-encouraging. Makingclassrooms places where teachers and learners are inviting to themselves and each other is a keyaspect of invitational theory and practice. My intent in this paper is to (1) discuss the influentialrole of the inner voice in shaping the experiences of teachers and students in classrooms, (2)introduce the art of transformation in their internal dialogue through ongoing self-reflection,monitoring, and revisions to the ways they speak to themselves, and (3) highlight the practicalimplications in classroom settings. The paper invites teachers and students to envisionthemselves in positive ways by promoting the transformation of negative, unhealthy, andirrational self-talk to inner communication that is positive, productive, and rational.