MA -- You would've loved the conference I attended (in Malibu, in January!) a couple of years ago, about incorporating spirituality into teaching. I was invited based on an essay I wrote in 2006 for a volume called "Spirituality, Ethnography & Teaching: Stories from Within." My essay is about my 10 years of experience teaching at a day treatment center for adults with emotional and mental illnesses. The retreat center was a mansion and is now a monastery, on top of a hill overlooking the Pacific. You can't imagine a more beautiful place -- it was built in the 1920s by people who lost their money in the '30s -- they owned a ceramic tile factory so the place is adorned inside and out with these beautiful tiles.

I'm going to be making this forum for the public. Students will be asked to participate, but I'll be the "owner" like Dotsie.

Yes, I agree - - People bring what they are and self-moderation works best.
However, we do come from such different backgrounds and environments. As Dancer also says, some people take things personally.

Still, anyone, please share your experiences. How does it feel to be "moderated" by the moderator? Have your feelings been hurt? Have you been misunderstood? Have you been treated fairly?

Okay, now really, maybe it's best to share this in PM. I don't want to create a firestorm here.