Representations of Substitute Teachers and the Paradoxes of Professionalism

Abstract

This article explores both dominant and counternarratives about the work of teachers (and teaching) articulated through representations of substitute teachers. Using the notion of deviant historiography, the author uses the representation of substitute teachers to render visible the assumptions that govern the boundaries of professionalism. The author's exploration begins with a brief discussion of the professional teacher as constructed in educational reform. The author then presents three images of substitute teachers—the incompetent, unqualified teacher; the deviant outsider; and the guerilla superhero—that proliferate in popular cultural and educational practitioner discourses on teaching. Finally, the author discusses the significance of these images through an analysis of how other teachers function in the context of teacher shortage, educational reform, and school practice.