Learning from Leading: A Teacher Educator’s Perspective of Learning Through Leading an International Professional Experience

Abstract

There is a growing body of research about the learning potential for pre-service teachers undertaking a study abroad or international professional experience (IPE) program. Less attention, however, has been paid to the professional learning opportunities afforded teacher educators who lead these programs. Using Sanderson’s (2007) notion of the academic Self, this paper explores findings from a self-study conducted by a teacher educator who led a three-week IPE each year for three years, following one year as learner, working with a more experienced leader. Data from the study revealed that the work of leading an IPE is intensely relational, and much of the professional learning that occurs relates to challenges involved in developing and managing new roles and responsibilities and negotiating diverse professional relationships. This can lead to examining taken-for-granted assumptions about what a professional experience should look like, and through this process, gaining a new sense of self as a teacher educator.