Toward identity‐oriented teacher education: Critical autoethnographic narrative

Abstract

Recent work on the theorization and exploration of language teacher identity contends that teacher education practices should focus on teacher identity as an explicit focus, yet little is known regarding how teacher identity can be integrated in TESOL teacher education. This article describes a teacher learning tool called critical autoethnographic narrative that can be utilized to promote identity‐oriented TESOL teacher preparation. Theoretically, the design of this tool relies on the earlier work on critical language teacher education (Hawkins & Norton, ), autoethnography as an account of identity development (Canagarajah, ), narrative as a teacher learning tool (Johnson & Golombek, ), and narrative as identity construction (Barkhuizen, ). As a program‐wide endeavor, critical autoethnographic narrative requires teacher candidates’ ongoing engagement with their narrative account through coursework and internship by attempting to deconstruct the dominant discourses with teacher educators’ feedback. Acknowledging TESOL teachers as knowledge generators, such endeavors also encourages teacher candidates to make contributions to scholarly publications with their narratives. The article closes with the description of possible challenges for teacher educators.

Fostering volunteer ESL teacher identity through reflection on apprenticeship of observation

“…Based on these considerations, we developed and led a 2‐hour professional development (PD) session for volunteers using the apprenticeship of observation as a reflective lens on teacher identity. Along with other scholars (Elsheikh, ; Johnson & Golombek, ; Pennington, ; Yazan, ), we believe that volunteer teachers can use reflection to negotiate their identities and improve their teaching practice. This PD session was conducted twice as a pre‐term training for new and returning volunteers.…”

“…Examining scholarship on TESOL teacher identity, we see that scholars give particular attention to the concept of self—teachers' vision of who they are vis‐à‐vis their own learning experiences, their teacher values and beliefs, professional teaching approaches, and their students' expectations of language learning, among other factors (see Elsheikh, ; Hallman, ; Kumaravadivelu, ; Trent, ; Yazan, ). In this regard, Elsheikh () makes an important observation when studying identity of preservice teachers.…”

“…First described by Lortie and Clement (), there is a consensus among scholars that the apprenticeship of observation acts as an influential background for novice teachers (see Elsheikh, ; Johnson , ; Moodie, ; Westrick & Morris, ; Yazan, ). Apprenticeship of observation emphasizes experiential, socially constructed knowledge that, according to Johnson (), has two parts: memories of learning as a student and memories of former teachers and their teaching.…”

Exploring TESOL teacher educators as learners and reflective scholars: A shared narrative inquiry

“…Research on teacher identity has certainly illustrated the maxim “You teach who you are” (e.g., Palmer, ), whether we consciously recognize the influence of our identity on our pedagogy or not (e.g., Kanno & Stuart, ; Varghese, Morgan, Johnston, & Johnson, ; Varghese, Motha, Trent, Park, & Reeves, ; Yazan, ). Teacher educators have to be able to consciously, intentionally examine how they bring their identities to bear, in order to engage in more dynamic, responsive, meaningful teacher education (e.g., Dinkelman, , ).…”

“…Questions of language teacher identity/ies as informing classroom practices and policies (work in the first strand) have grown significantly in recent years (e.g., Lindahl, ; Motha, ; Varghese et al, ; Varghese et al, ; Yazan, ), including Morgan's () influential work on teacher identity as pedagogy. Morgan illustrated how as a teacher he intentionally deployed parts of his privileged identity as a White, heterosexual, native‐English‐speaking male in pedagogical prompts to challenge the views of his English‐learning adult Chinese students regarding gender stereotypes related to cooking, housework, child‐rearing, and making financial decisions.…”