Spoken Stories: A Narrative Inquiry on the Lives and Experiences of “Outsider Teachers”

• In Event: Poster Session 15
  In Poster Session: The Lives of Teachers: Poster Session

Abstract

When a teacher enters a classroom, a story begins. Characters and setting—students, faculty, and surrounding community—inform the plot. If a teacher comes from outside this community—whether in terms of race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, ability status, or culture—the plot thickens. This study looks at the experiences of “outsider teachers” with the intention of creating a more layered narrative by encompassing the many facets of identity that interact to create the intricate experience of an individual human being. The experiences of these outsider teachers, the ways in which they characterize their identities, and in particular, the ways that they articulate their approach to pedagogy, provide valuable insight for the teaching community at large.

Author

• Sara Makris, University of Maryland - College Park