Novice Teachers Embracing Wobble in Standardized Schools: Using Dialogue and Inquiry for Self-Reflection and Growth

by Bob Fecho, Dawan Coombs, Trevor Thomas Stewart, Todd S. Hawley

Overview

A critical resource for pre-service and practicing teachers, this book addresses what happens when new teachers try to enact inquiry-based and dialogical pedagogy within standardized schools. Exploring the narratives from beginning ELA and humanities teachers when they encounter challenges and obstructions, this book explores moments of wobble—key events that called attention to practice in the context of inflexible schooling systems—that the teachers shared with their peers via an oral inquiry process (OIP) to help them unpack and understand their experiences.

This book advocates for the continued use and enhancement of mentoring and induction initiatives, particularly those that recognize the expressed concerns of novice teachers, no matter what their pedagogical stance might be. By sharing novice teachers’ "wobble stories" and their outcomes, this book provides a pathway for teachers’ continued self-reflection and growth for the duration of their careers. The authors offer a reflective, adaptable, and easy-to-use process that places teachers in control of their own professional learning. The beliefs and structures examined in this text support the intentions of all teachers who work from a learning-centered perspective and wish to take some ownership of their professional development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367404406
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/01/2020
Pages:	146
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Bob Fecho is Professor of English Education in the Department of Arts and Humanities at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA.

Dawan Coombs is Associate Professor of English at Brigham Young University, USA.

Trevor Thomas Stewart is Associate Professor in the School of Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.

Todd S. Hawley is Professor of Social Studies Education in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies at Kent State University, USA.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgements xii

1 Recognizing Wobble, Uncertainty, and Possibility 1

2 Describing the Process 23

3 Constructing Personal and Professional Identities 40

4 Dialoguing through Tensions between Belief and Practice 62

5 Transacting with School Structures 86

6 Maximizing the Possibilities 108

Author Biographies 129

Index 131