Beyond the middle finger: affective labour, an ethic of care and the reform of teacher education

Abstract

The centrality of relationships between teachers and students is revealed in the articles in this special issue on alternative schools. This should characterise the mainstream but the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers avoids any reference to care or affect or to the importance of forming ethically informed caring relationships with students. This provoked the thought that a robot such as Kryten from the Red Dwarf television series could possibly be registered as a teacher. The robotic teacher is a powerful imaginary in current neoliberal times especially for the most vulnerable members of society. Kryten eventually ‘gives the middle finger’ when asked once too often to do some menial task. Teacher educators may be tempted to imitate Kryten as they experience the tightening of the metric and regulatory screws on their practice, but I suggest we should move quickly beyond such momentary satisfactions to transform teacher education. Central to this transformation is a theory of professional learning that foregrounds relationships and affect. Ways forward are signposted by reference to existing and emerging place-conscious teacher education models that are built on emplaced knowledge and commitments to the well-being of students and their communities.

Keywords:

• Robotic teacher
• professional standards
• teacher education
• place-consciousness