Pedagogical Coaching as Identity Work: Cultivating and Negotiating ESL Teacher Narrative Identities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Language teacher learning and professional identity can be understood as intertwined. Radical changes in practice entail changes in how teachers understand themselves. Thus, narratives of identity should be considered a significant concern of professional learning. Employing a narrative conception of identity, we argue that narrative identity work is a valuable channel for mediating and supporting teacher growth. We highlight how pedagogical coaching, a dialogic and longitudinal form of professional learning, can create a space for narrative identity work. Using a theoretical lens of narrative identity, we explore one pedagogical coach’s collaboration with two elementary ESL specialists over one school year. We consider how the coach employed identity work tactics to support teacher growth. In so doing, we posit two novel identity tactics: reflective articulation and narrative bricolage. This work highlights the potential of teacher narrative identity work in professional learning for ESL specialists particularly, and general education teachers broadly.