An Educator’s Journey

From Servant-Leadership to Transformative Pedagogy

Five years ago, I joined the adjunct faculty at Golden Gate University (GGU), uncertain of what the future would hold but deeply committed to engaging in meaningful, purpose-driven work. At the time, I had spent years immersed in the study of servant-leadership—publishing, presenting, and teaching on its role in shaping organizational culture. But it wasn’t until Jeffrey Yergler, Ph.D. invited me to teach at GGU that I began to move from intellectual understanding to lived embodiment. His invitation was more than a professional opportunity—it marked a transformation in vocation and identity.

Dr. Yergler’s leadership modeled what I had long advocated for in theory but had rarely seen so fully realized in practice. He did not merely offer me a role—he created a space for me to grow. He entrusted me with responsibilities that stretched and developed my leadership capacities, including co-chairing the Adjunct Committee and contributing to faculty development. His leadership was quiet, unwavering, and deeply human—centered on the belief that people flourish when they are seen, empowered, and supported.

This experience deeply influenced my evolving sense of purpose as an educator. Under his mentorship, I began to understand that I was not merely teaching to disseminate information—I was participating in a broader mission of empowerment, community-building, and systemic transformation. Education, I came to realize, was a vehicle for intergenerational change, especially for students who had long been excluded from traditional academic spaces.

In May 2024, I was honored to receive the Outstanding Adjunct Award from Dr. Yergler and GGU. This recognition was not simply about performance; it symbolized a shared commitment to educational values rooted in dignity, excellence, and service. It affirmed the belief that when we lead with purpose and teach with presence, we unlock potential far beyond the classroom.

Reclaiming the Purpose of Education: Paulo Freire and the “Banking Model”

One of the most enduring theoretical influences on my teaching philosophy is Paulo Freire, whose work continues to challenge and guide my pedagogical decisions. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire critiques what he calls the banking model of education, where students are treated as passive vessels into which knowledge is deposited. In this model, the teacher owns the knowledge, and the student merely receives it—unquestioned and unchallenged.

Freire’s alternative—the problem-posing model of education—has shaped my classroom practice. In this paradigm, learning is dialogical and generative, grounded in the lived realities of students. It sees both student and teacher as co-creators of knowledge, actively engaging with content and each other to make meaning and foster change.

At GGU, I encountered an academic culture that aligns powerfully with this vision. Serving underrepresented students from diverse professional and personal backgrounds, I found a learning environment rich with opportunity for co-construction. Students brought with them insights from workplaces, families, and communities—realities that demanded more than abstract theory. Embracing Freire’s approach required me to show up differently: to co-learn, to ask critical questions, and to honor students' experiences as essential components of academic dialogue.

Teaching from the Inside Out: Parker Palmer and the Relational Core of Education

Where Freire sharpened my lens on systems and structures, Parker Palmer grounded me in the interpersonal and intrapersonal dimensions of teaching. His book, The Courage to Teach, was one of the first texts I encountered in graduate school and has remained a cornerstone in my teaching philosophy.

Palmer’s assertion that “we teach who we are” challenged me to look inward. Teaching, he argues, is not merely the act of delivering curriculum—it is an act of presence, rooted in authenticity, vulnerability, and continual self-reflection. One of his most meaningful insights for me is the power of showing up consistently—emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually—for our students.

This philosophy is woven into the rhythms of my live classes. Whether on Zoom or in person, I begin each session with a presencing practice by asking, “What do you need to leave behind to be fully present in today’s class?” This small act invites students to bring their whole selves into the learning space, building the kind of trust and authenticity that Palmer speaks of. It reminds us all that the inner lives of students and educators must meet for true learning to occur.

Servant-Leadership in the Classroom

At the intersection of Freire’s critical pedagogy and Palmer’s relational ethic lies servant-leadership, the foundation of both my academic and professional journey. It calls educators to be both system-aware and human-centered—to recognize institutional barriers while also nurturing compassion, growth, and shared purpose.

In the GGU classroom, servant-leadership shows up in how I design learning environments, how I engage students in co-creation, and how I adapt to the real-time needs of adult learners. It informs the questions I ask, the trust I build, and the community we cultivate. Under Dr. Yergler’s guidance, I came to see servant-leadership not as a management strategy, but as a pedagogy of presence—one rooted in justice, responsiveness, and mutual respect.

A Call for Transformative Education

As I reflect on this five-year journey, I am struck by how much of my growth has involved unlearning—letting go of traditional notions of authority, expertise, and hierarchical instruction. I now see teaching as both art and science, requiring intellectual rigor and emotional resonance. I believe the most effective educators are those who see students not as problems to solve or minds to mold, but as co-authors of learning and change.

Golden Gate University, with its 120+ year legacy of championing underrepresented students, has been a powerful partner in that journey. Its institutional commitment to access, equity, and excellence offered the fertile ground where my purpose as an educator could mature. It became a living example of what institutional servant-leadership looks like—leadership that uplifts not just individuals but whole communities.

In the words of Freire, education must be a practice of freedom. And in the spirit of Palmer, it must also be a practice of love.

Together, these principles do not simply inform my classroom—they shape my calling.

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Practices for the Wholehearted Educator

Reflective Pathways to Purpose and Presence

Exercise 1: The “Who I Am Is How I Teach” Reflection Map

Inspired by: Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach

Purpose: To deepen self-awareness and reconnect educators to their inner landscape—the well from which they teach.

Instructions:

1. Quiet Centering (5–7 minutes):
   Begin with a brief moment of stillness. Breathe deeply and consider this prompt: “When I walk into a classroom, what parts of me show up first?”

2. Four Quadrant Reflection (15–20 minutes):
   On a sheet of paper or digital document, create a four-quadrant grid. Label them:

   • My Values

   • My Wounds

   • My Gifts

   • My Aspirations

   In each section, list 3–5 statements. Examples:

   • My Values: I value compassion over perfection.

   • My Wounds: I often question if I’m enough for my students.

   • My Gifts: I create safety through vulnerability.

   • My Aspirations: I want my classroom to be a space for collective healing.

3. Integration Prompt (10 minutes):
   Reflect on this question:
   “What would it mean to teach from the integration of all four quadrants—not just from what I know, but from who I am?”

Outcome: This exercise cultivates whole-person presence in teaching and reminds educators that their humanity is not a liability—but a resource in the sacred work of education.

Exercise 2: Reclaiming the Call – A Purpose Narrative for the Classroom

Inspired by: Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and the principles of servant-leadership

Purpose: To help educators articulate and live into their vocational purpose as a daily act of liberation and service.

Instructions:

1. Story Circle Prompt (can be done solo or in dialogue):
   Reflect on and write (or speak) the story of your calling to teach. Use the following guiding questions:

   • What called me to this work?

   • When did I first realize that teaching could be a form of service?

   • Whose lives have shaped how I see my purpose?

   • When have I felt most alive, most aligned, and most useful in the classroom?

2. Identify Your “Why” Statement (10–15 minutes):
   After writing your narrative, distill it into a purpose statement in one or two sentences. Examples:

   • “I teach to liberate the voices of those silenced by traditional systems.”

   • “I teach to bridge the gap between heart and intellect.”

   • “I teach so that students feel seen enough to believe in their own transformation.”

3. Application Prompt:
   Ask yourself:
   “How does my curriculum, tone, presence, and pedagogy reflect this purpose?”
   Identify one change you can make this term to better embody that “why.”

Outcome: This exercise reconnects educators to their vocational clarity, encouraging a classroom culture rooted in intentionality, service, and social impact.