Michael Hayler

On either side of the teacher: perspectives on professionalism in education

This article brings together two studies which contribute to the examination of the nature of professionalism in education by focusing on the perspectives of two under-researched groups namely ‘teaching assistants’ and teacher educators working ‘either side’ of the school teacher. The projects were conducted in, and framed by, the UK policy context of public sector modernization and cuts, and raise issues of relevance to international debates on notions of professionalism in education in a context of neo-liberal policy and austerity. The studies drew upon different approaches including autoethnography, life history and discourse analysis. The authors examine the formation and representation of professional identity in education through the discourses of ‘professionalism’ of teaching assistants and teacher educators. Professionalism is articulated through three themes in the accounts; ‘non-standard’ professional transformations, role ambiguity, and the role of classroom experience and higher education in the development of professional identities. Through these themes the perspectives of teaching assistants and teacher educators locate the notion of ‘teacher professionalism’ within a broader concept of professionalism in education providing alternatives to the discourse of imposed policy, and the authors reflect upon the ways in which these voices contribute to the wider international debate on professionalism in education.

Professional Learning Through Transitions and Transformations

This book examines the personal, professional journeys of teacher educators who have undertaken self-studies, and/or researched the professional development of teacher educators. The theme of the book is how change has shaped the professional identites and practices of these teacher educators, concluding with a discussion of the connections between the diverse experiences of the authors, and what can be learned from their accumulated wisdom about what it means to be a teacher educator in a dynamic and ever-changing educational landscape.

When we got to the top of Elm Grove

When we got to the top of Elm Grove, without saying anything and without any sort of sign, we stopped and turned together to look back at the old town where we grew up. Silently and separately we took in the familiar landmarks from our lives. The Pier and the Pavilion and the shape of the coast as it curls out towards Worthing.

Learning from stories of becoming

In this chapter, the editors of this collection reflect on what they have learned from the stories of professional becoming presented in the various chapters. First, they provide an overview of the existing literature on what it means to become a teacher educator, and on the process of constructing a new professional identity. Following this general discussion of what it means to ‘become’ a teacher educator professional, they take a collaborative and dialogical ‘turn’ by eliciting their own learning as teacher educators by way of a discussion about what they learned by reading and reflecting on these narratives, and engaging with the ideas contained within over an extended period of time. This approach to understanding what it means to become a teacher educator mirrors key themes of the book – that learning about becoming a teacher educator involves deep reflection, dialogue and collaboration, sometimes taking place over vast distances and between different spaces of practice.

On the journey of becoming a teacher educator

As editors of, and contributors to this collection, we invite you to share in the personal and professional narratives of a diverse group of teacher educators, as they take you through their unique and thought-provoking journeys of professional becoming. This book arose from discussions of our own journeys from primary school teacher to teacher educator, coincidently in our own alma maters, where we undertook our initial teacher education, many years before. We met at the 7th Castle Conference, hosted by the Self Study of Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Education Research Association (AERA) at Herstmonceaux Castle, East Sussex, England, in 2008. There we shared many similar experiences of being primary school teachers, eager to expand our intellectual and pedagogical horizons by undertaking graduate studies, culminating in a doctorate and moving into academia. Over the next 3 years or so, we maintained contact, including visits between our respective universities. As we shared our experiences, we discussed our professional learning as teacher educators, and the challenges and opportunities afforded by the transition from teacher to teacher educator. One outcome of these discussions is this collection of narratives from teacher educators who share their own varied and interesting professional journeys, and contribute meaningfully to the collective wisdom of the profession of teacher education. During our discussions we pondered the questions: What would we have wanted to know at the beginning of our transition into teacher education? How can we provide important insights into what it means to be(come) a teacher educator in times of political, economic, pedagogical and social change, that would be of value to others, particularly those starting out on their own journeys? The collection that follows is a response to those questions.

Conducting the Research

In the spring of 1969, when I was 10, I became aware that my father was unwell. He spoke to us about the difficulty he was having eating his food. The doctor diagnosed an ulcer and then a hernia which needed an operation. He went to London for the operation and when he came back there was a more somber mood around the house. I must have gathered that he was very ill, although nobody told me this and I didn’t really acknowledge it to myself. I didn’t know he had cancer or what cancer was until after he died in June of that year at the age of 46. His death didn’t bring our family close together in the way such events can.

Narratives of Learning from Co-editing, Writing and Presenting Stories of Experience in Self-Study

Abstract In this self-study, we look at the contribution made towards our professional learning through an aspect of teacher education work that is not commonly featured in the research literature: exploring the implications of our work as co-editors of an international collection about teacher educators’ journeys of professional becoming. Through this self-study, we argue that this type of work is valuable to individuals and institutions in relation to its impact on the professional learning and career development of teacher educators. Adopting a narrative approach, we examined our experiences of co-editing the book and the associated activities such as conference presentations, to understand how this influenced our professional learning and identity as teacher educators. Findings include having a stronger sense of the evolution of our professional selves over time and greater insight and awareness of our strengths and uncertainties. A clearer perspective on our own career development and professional becoming was evident, and many parallels could be drawn between our experiences of professional becoming and those of the chapter authors in the edited book. We conclude that while activities such as book editing do not usually count in institutional metrics as outputs, they are nonetheless a significant opportunity for professional learning and make a contribution to knowledge and to teacher education practice, and should be recognised as such by institutions and colleagues.

Here, There and Everywhere

Some of the most contentious stories in education are the stories of assessment. Here the debate about educational values and purpose is brought into sharp relief as what seem like ever-more narrow forms of ‘credentialism’ are pitched against the role of education in social progress. ‘Assessment’ in all its various guises and interpretations is central to this debate.

Thirty Two Ways to Tell a Story of Teaching

I knew the words of old somehow and I had recently heard the actor, Liam Neeson reading them on the BBC television programme called ‘W. B. Yeats: A fanatic heart.’1 The sound and the meaning of the words distracted me like a flickering shadow at the window as I tried to get on with writing this chapter. I needed to look past the words and shut out the feeling of dissonant unease, follow my plan and write about how my life experiences had made me the thoughtful and creative teacher I have become.

A Story Full of Stories

The bakery has gone now, replaced by new business units, but if you drive by you can still see the wall I used to sit on waiting for the bus after work at my first job. If you keep going for a few minutes the next building you come to is the university where I was later employed as a senior lecturer in education. The distance between my first and my current jobs seems so far and yet so close, as though the puzzle of who I am is in the undulating landscape between the bakery and the university.