Teach For America Novice Teacher Reflections as Potential Spaces for Transformative Praxis

• In Event: Portfolio Reflection and Interpretation for Professional Development

Abstract

This mixed-methods inquiry in to the reflective practices of forty-four (44) TFA Corps Members (CMs) and alumni enrolled in a year-long teacher certification program was initiated in order to gain an understanding of the potential relationships between (a) frequency of engagement in reflective practice may have correlated with (b) teachers’ views of the import and impact of these reflective practices in their development as more thoughtful, complex, and intentional educators and/or in their capacity to support student learning, (c) measurements of teacher growth and development over the course of the academic year from university supervisors and coaches, and (d) development trajectories of student learning over time. Results describe illustrative cases in order to highlight the complexities of this intersection.

Authors

• Teresa R. Fisher, Georgia State University

• Monica M. Alicea, Georgia State University

• Barbara Meyers, Georgia State University