Search

In the context of international systemic reforms promoting professional standards for teachers and inclusivity of diverse students in schools, this paper presents and demonstrates conceptual means by which educators can critically respond to the uncomfortable couplet of standardisation and difference. This is primarily achieved by theorising alternative ways of making sense of difference. Core to the argument is that standards can become more than prescriptions for educating in the same way when teachers recognise their positionality, examine the socio-cultural context of their work, and take action to ensure equality or equity of opportunity within the classroom. The paper is presented in three sections. The first section addresses the use of teaching standards in the United States and Australia, examining various ways inclusive education is articulated as a standard for practice. The second section engages theory from critical disability studies as a fillip to thinking differently about disability. The final section creates conceptual space for educators to move effectively between different intentions -- their own as practitioners, the profession's standards, and socio-material conditions involving ethics and accountability. On the whole, conveyed throughout the paper is the necessity for teachers to orientate towards contextual sense-making of professional standards to support inclusive practice.

Metaphors situated within critical reflections provide powerful insight into how preservice teachers (PSTs) understand their experiences and the world around them, particularly in areas like writing which is consistently understudied in teacher education programs. The present qualitative study uses metaphor data from Fall 2021, Spring 2022, and Fall 2022 to examine how 71 early childhood PSTs, in their junior year of study, conceptualized writing conferences and the process of giving and receiving feedback. To analyze the metaphors, researchers engaged in an extensive thematic analysis with multiple rounds of coding conducted. Findings indicate that PSTs primarily identified as students, not emerging teachers. Thematic analysis also led to three separate understandings: a) many PSTs saw writing conferences as an authoritative endeavor, in which teacher talk was central, b) most still viewed writing negatively, or as something to be feared, and c) more practice and experience with writing instruction and assessment is critical if PSTs are to emerge as competent and confident writing instructors. Teacher education programs can consider how metaphors may be used to support critical reflection in their programs and writing instruction broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The writing instruction preparation problem is complex and composed of a series of mutually reinforcing issues that are rarely ameliorated in teacher education programs (TEPs). Preservice teachers (PSTs) must critically examine their own writing experiences and instruction; however, such opportunities are not typically present in TEPs. This narrative inquiry describes the experiences of one PST, Millie, over the course of several semesters, as she participated in various experiences with writing, to investigate the development of her writing teacher persona. Millie shared her 'stories to live by' as a college writing student, college writing tutor, and a student teacher. Millie's stories reflect her evolving understanding of writing pedagogy as a result of her experiences, as well as the tensions she experienced in enacting and developing her writing teacher persona. Implications for storytelling as critical reflection within TEPs, as well as writing teacher development, are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]