Teacher Biographies and the Challenge of Change

• In Event: Life Stories and Trajectories: Hope, Possibility, and Change

Abstract

This paper explores the biographies of teachers at a holistic school at a time of change in their collective experiences. How do people make decisions during times of crisis? What life experiences and values or beliefs do they draw on at times of crisis or challenging changes? What are the philosophical values or tenets that are drawn upon? Teacher biographies reveal the interconnections between their life experiences, their belief systems and the ways in which they met the challenges of crisis and change. Their personal stories allow us to see the ways in which multiple experiences and belief systems framed their choices and decision making that allowed for possibilities for action and change.

Author

• Raji Swaminathan, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee