Re Narrating Teacher Identity ─ Telling Truths and Becoming Teachers

With surprising candor, the authors of (Re)narrating Teacher Identity: Telling Truths and Becoming Teachers crack open what it means to become and be a teacher in the twenty-first century United States. They believed teaching preyed on their insecurities and hurt their mental health. In an effort to dig deeper into the challenge of teaching, four new teachers engaged in a summer writer’s workshop. Drawing from the work of Barbara Kamler (2001), the teachers used artifacts such as school graffiti and text messages to "reposition" and (re)narrate their identities as teachers. Ultimately, they realized they were no longer simply stressed-out teachers, but agents and collaborators with the power and ability to redefine or change their narratives.

An important resource for novice teachers, experienced teachers, and teacher educators alike, this book illuminates the urgency of honesty and how truth telling might encourage teachers not only to stay in the profession but to thrive. The raw stories, images, and humor in (Re)narrating Teacher Identity will be a powerful resource for foundational education courses, master’s courses in teacher education, and professional development or mentoring workshops.

Audrey Lensmire, author of White Urban Teachers: Stories of Fear, Violence, and Desire, is Associate Professor of Education at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

Anna Schick, an English teacher with a M.Ed. in youth development leadership, is an academic advisor for pre-service teachers at the University of Minnesota.