The Resourceful Facilitator: Teacher Leaders Constructing Identities as Facilitators of Teacher Peer Groups
Source: Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, Volume 22, Issue 1, 2016, Pages 70-83
Drawing on a qualitative study of facilitation of teacher peer groups, this paper investigates how teacher leaders integrate experiences from different domains of life in constructing a unique facilitator identity.
Focusing on portraits of three teacher leaders, it demonstrates how teachers relate experiences outside of teaching, including academic experiences, other professional experiences, and social experiences, to the skills and orientation necessary for effective facilitation. The paper argues for attention to reflexive practices of identity formation in the preparation of teacher leaders as facilitators and in the ongoing development of teacher leaders who already function as facilitators.