Writing Stories to Live By: A Narrative Inquiry of Writing Teacher Persona Development

Abstract

The writing instruction preparation problem is complex and composed of a series of mutually reinforcing issues that are rarely ameliorated in teacher education programs (TEPs). Preservice teachers (PSTs) must critically examine their own writing experiences and instruction; however, such opportunities are not typically present in TEPs. This narrative inquiry describes the experiences of one PST, Millie, over the course of several semesters, as she participated in various experiences with writing, to investigate the development of her writing teacher persona. Millie shared her ‘stories to live by’ as a college writing student, college writing tutor, and a student teacher. Millie’s stories reflect her evolving understanding of writing pedagogy as a result of her experiences, as well as the tensions she experienced in enacting and developing her writing teacher persona. Implications for storytelling as critical reflection within TEPs, as well as writing teacher development, are provided.

Disclosure statement

We have no known conflict of interest to disclose.