If Polly Had Been There: an Uncommon Journey In
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IF POLLY HAD BEEN THERE: AN UNCOMMON JOURNEY IN TEACHER INDUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT by THOMAS MICHAEL VAN SOELEN (Under the Direction of Penny Oldfather and Betty Bisplinghoff) ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the learnings of a novice teacher learning community. The researcher coached this Critical Friends Group, which was composed of six first-year middle school teachers representing a variety of content areas and specialties. The group met monthly during the second semester of the 2002-2003 school year, examining issues of educational practice emerging from their own classrooms. Structured conversations using protocols developed by organizations such as the National School Reform Faculty drove the use of time during meetings. The researcher used portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997) to position himself to collect data about the group, individual members’ thinking, and his own facilitating and coaching dilemmas. The principal of the building allowed one novice teacher to discontinue membership in the group after the first meeting. Her words from that meeting are used to frame the authentic topics that the novice teachers pursued during the study, such as accountability, authentic assessment, content, and relationships with colleagues. Paired stories pose what might have happened if she had continued her membership in the group. These novice teachers did not view issues of classroom management of high priority, rather, questions surrounding assessment and meaningful learning activities permeated the conversations. Several members engaged in risk, offering their work or the work of their students for feedback. These artifacts often caused conceptual conflict (Wang & Odell, 2002), increasing the depth of the dialogue. Although the group was homogeneous in terms of years of full-time teaching experience, individuals’ experiences both in and out of the classroom provided a diversity that fueled and generated important knowledge and actions. Finally, a notion of a mentoring community emerged in which novices assumed multiple mentoring perspectives (Wang & Odell, 2002) in their interactions with each other and the group. INDEX WORDS: Novice teachers, teacher induction programs, Critical Friends Groups, teacher collaboration, learning communities, teacher mentoring IF POLLY HAD BEEN THERE: AN UNCOMMON JOURNEY IN TEACHER INDUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT by THOMAS MICHAEL VAN SOELEN B.A., Dordt College, 1994 M.Ed., Florida Atlantic University, 1999 Ed.S., Florida Atlantic University, 2000 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2003 © 2003 Thomas Michael Van Soelen All Rights Reserved IF POLLY HAD BEEN THERE: AN UNCOMMON JOURNEY IN TEACHER INDUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT by THOMAS MICHAEL VAN SOELEN Co-Major Professors: Penny Oldfather Betty Bisplinghoff Committee: Sally Hudson-Ross George Stanic Sally Zepeda Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia December 2003 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It seems anti-climactic to say that “writing a dissertation is a process.” To say that “it was a long, long journey” reeks of a cliché. Even more significant to me is that neither of those oft- posed phrases approach the impact of this work on my life. This is what I needed, what I had been waiting for – even though I did not know it. I never dreamed that higher education would be a part of my life, especially not in such important and meaningful ways. Certainly the content of my academic pursuits and my own research has altered what I think and how I think about it, but the relationships with other professionals was the most unexpected and the most amazing. Although my wife was my best friend before we moved to Georgia to pursue doctoral degrees, now she definitively owns that role. Julie has accepted and loved a fragmented husband with too many interests, too much energy, and lately, too many computers. Her unconditional support never wavered, nor did her abilities to keep me grounded. It was never a matter of finishing; it was just a determination of when. I thank her especially for realizing how important it was for me to digress – to paint walls – during this experience. The most important addition to our relationship has been professional dialogue. Our studies have affected what we talk about and how we talk about it. I am thankful for this new wrinkle in our lives. My doctoral committee represents pieces of my university life that came together through this process. Betty, my co-chair, serves as my accountable “wonderer.” When there’s wondering v to be done, she’s already doing it and encouraging others to wonder as well. Her courageous stance of presuming goodwill is slowly becoming a mantra of mine as well. She questioned whether decisions were the right ones for the right reasons for a particular group of students or teachers. Through this process, she assured me that I was in the right place at the right time with the right people. She honors me every time that we engage in conversation or laughter, or often a combination of the two. I offer thanks to my other co-chair, Penny Oldfather, for her gentle ways that were a powerful model. When I was ready to find greener pastures, she volunteered to till the land in whatever ways I needed. George motivates me to labor over every word, every action, and every decision. His self-described incessancy is an exemplar of the kind of care and devotion I want to give to issues that matter, to students that matter, to teachers that matter. Every time I need to write something important in an email, I remember George’s commitment to representing people, places, and ideas in careful and accurate ways. His loyalty to organizations and ideals motivate me to behave in similar ways. He never forgets the things that people initially think are unimportant until they have to ask him. I thank George for helping me realize that I was making a difference and that it really mattered. Sally Hudson-Ross has dedicated her professional life and much of her personal life to teachers and teacher candidates. This undying work ethic excited me about the Georgia Systemic Teacher Education Program (GSTEP). The entrée into that endeavor was a monumental step in the development of my research interest. She never doubted that I was a valuable member of GSTEP, and now I function as a county-specific member, poised to meaningfully influence policy about teacher induction and retention. vi Understanding educational and organizational politics has not been my strong suit. Sally Zepeda offered insights on how to be savvy in ways that do not compromise my own beliefs. Her broad views of teacher leadership have impacted me as I think about my future work. As a member of both my wife and my doctoral committees, she laid down the law about how we needed to care for each other during data collection and analysis. Her emotional support was invaluable. I also wish to thank the music ministry at St. John Neumann Church. Amid dissonant chords and rich harmonies, I lost myself in the text of the gospels. These weekly moments created an oasis away from the world of education. Even in that alternative setting, they always noticed my progress – the beard that grew during the writing, diminished to a goatee after the final draft, and disappeared after the defense. Thank you for vicariously taking part. Final thanks to Fabulous Freida, my cheerleader in multiple arenas of life. As the ultimate “caring other,” she gives herself away daily. She always made time for my work and consistently inquired about the things that weren’t work but impacted the work. I am so thankful that I received her gift many times and in many ways. Probably most importantly, her relationship with me unknowingly supported the very students she is employed to support: the undergraduates in our program. Her reminders and diligence in her work motivated me to co-construct meaningful experiences that stretch these preservice teacher education students – increasing the possibilities that they will make a difference in the lives of children and each other. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER 1 VOICE AS AUDIENCE: INTRODUCTION ...............................................................1 Background ...............................................................................................................4 Purpose of the Study..................................................................................................8 Organization of the Study..........................................................................................8 Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................9 Potential Significance of the Study .........................................................................11 Rationale for Using CFGs with Novice Teachers ...................................................12 2 VOICE AS A CONDUCTOR: ISSUES OF SUBJECTIVITY ...................................29 Subjectivities ...........................................................................................................30 Another Rehearsal ...................................................................................................44 3 VOICE AS A COMPOSER: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...................................50