The current movement in spirituality is extending into both K-12 and higher education. There is discussion at both levels of the need for the spiritual (not religion) to be a recognized part of the curriculum, to enable individuals to find personal meaning in the curriculum. This essay explores two themes--first, the importance of educators having a deep understanding of the purpose and meaning of their work, and of themselves in relation to that work; and second, the need for educators to recognize and address the realities outside of education through their work for the sake of children. In this essay, the authors develop these two themes by exploring critiques of school practice and what some writers identify as a lack of meaning and purpose within an "externalized" curriculum, such as what is currently exemplified by the demands of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This exploration will provide educators with language to explore a conceptual framework for examining how they think about and engage the world, as found in current discussions of "spirituality." The authors then examine ideas of curriculum writers who have understood the underlying constructs of "the spiritual," although they did not engage the language of spirituality as it is currently used. The authors argue the need for connecting the search for meaning and authenticity found in the language of "spirituality" to the search for meaning and authenticity in the curriculum, and that this search is most powerful, transforming, and sustainable when connected to the sociocultural context.