Teaching With Self: Learning From Alternative High School Students’ Perspectives About Good Teachers

• In Event: The Influence of Cultural Identities on Reflective Practices in Diverse Contexts

Abstract

In light of current, high-stakes debates about teacher quality, evaluation, and effectiveness, as well as the increased call for student voice in education reform, this qualitative interview study explored how 19 students from two alternative high school programs described, understood, and experienced “good teachers.” In particular, it highlights the importance of individual identity and relationships in education—for both students and teachers—and offers questions about the supports, conditions, and professional learning needed to support teacher growth and interconnectedness in the classroom and beyond.

Author

• Jessica Blum-DeStefano, Teachers College, Columbia University