Surviving Not Thriving: The Journey of Two Early Career Program Coordinators

• In Event: Making Sense of, Assuming Responsibility for, and Conceptualizing the Possibilities for Teacher Education in a Changing World

Abstract

Two early career faculty engaged in a self-study of their roles as program coordinators as they attempted to continue in leadership roles while on the tenure track. Acting as critical friends, they engaged in narrative interviewing in order to explore how their leadership roles manifested through/in their roles as program coordinators. Through the use of self-study, the faculty were able to unpack our perspective of leadership and define our persona such that we are able to better articulate our needs and desire for remaining in program coordination despite the deficit discourse around such leadership/service roles.

Authors

• Jennifer Ward, Kennesaw State University

• Courtney Baker, George Mason University