Intrator and Kunzman argue that professional development for teachers follows an orientation similar to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs--and that this orientation needs to be reversed. Maslow posited that people must fulfill subsistence needs such as needs for food and safety before they can pursue higher needs like the need for self-actualization. Conventional wisdom on professional development assumes that teachers must be trained in "subsistence strategies" like classroom management before they can advance to probing their inner lives and sense of purpose as teachers. In fact, the authors argue, fueling their passion to teach is teachers' most fundamental need, and professional development sessions should begin with this teacher-centered focus. Development of a "core ideology" and a shared purpose are defining characteristic of such groups. Intrator and Kunzman highlight the Courage to Teach quarterly retreats created by Parker Palmer as one model of teacher development that focuses first on the heart of the teacher.