Finding the Teacher Self: Developing Your Teacher Identity Through Critical Reflection

Finding the Teacher Self offers a foundation to begin and sustain a discussion with preservice and in-service teachers about the role of teacher identities in the classrooms, what their teacher identity is, and how they can continue to develop it. The book is intended to create a backdrop to deepen conversations with and between teachers and administrators on topics that are often avoided or devalued in the contemporary education discourse. Through the delineation of background information from scholarly sources and related discussion prompts and questions, real and constructive conversation can be fostered across the educational landscape including undergraduate and graduate classes, faculty meetings, professional development workshops, or ongoing district-based or school-based reflective teaching projects.

Eric Shyman is an Associate Professor of Child Study at St. Joseph’s College on Long Island, NY. He received his doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University.