Facing uncertainties in pedagogical responsibility: A math teacher’s experience navigating narratives of belonging

• In Event: More than Numbers: The Emotional Labor of Mathematics

Abstract

Teachers are constantly asked to resolve impossible problems, and research-driven solutions tend to overlook the perspectives of experienced teachers. In this paper, I invite the reader to sit with the lived tensions of one teacher, Becca, as she grapples with multiple and disparate responsibilities in an ever-changing educational landscape. I draw on theoretical perspectives and methods that foreground teachers’ pedagogical responsibilities as felt values and obligations that teachers agentically navigate. I explore the tensions that arise in Becca’s experience as she attempts to challenge dominant educational narratives and practices, prompting researchers to reflect on how our continued work to reimagine educational systems can honor teachers’ humanity and the complexity of navigating their pedagogical responsibilities.

Author

• Amanda Coviello, University of Wisconsin - Madison