Renegotiating Professional Identities: The transition From Student Teacher to Professional

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring the Development of Professional Teacher Identity (Table 38)

Abstract

This case-study examines how first year educators renegotiated their teacher identities as they transitioned from pre-service teachers (PSTs) to professionals. Both participants graduated from the same Teacher Education Program (TEP) and conducted their student internship in the same school as their first year of teaching. The results of this study have unique implications on first year teachers working in the location of their student internships, as they reported isolation, internalized infantilization, and inconsistent identities. We argue for TEPs to intentionally prepare PSTs for navigating this transition, and challenge preconceived notions of the benefits of student teaching and working in the same K-12 institution.

Author

• Zachary Tyler Milford, University of Kentucky