“We Hatched in this Class”: Repositioning of Identity In and Beyond a Reading Classroom

Abstract

This article presents a case study of development of reading identity in Angelica, a 15 year old Latina. The paper explores the literacy experiences in school that positioned Angelica as a struggling reader. It also examines the efforts of significant others in school and out-of-school contexts, as well as her own efforts, to contest this identity. In particular, it analyzes the pedagogical practices of Angelica’s ninth grade reading teacher that were pivotal in Angelica’s repositioning of her reading identity in school. Moving beyond teachers exploring with their students the broad construct of academic identity, the article argues for critical exploration of disciplinary identity as part of an academic curriculum. It offers some suggestions for doing so. The paper also advocates for building students’ academic identities in the out-of-school contexts of their lives. In departure from typical approaches, it stresses that students should take a significant role in deciding how to extend their academic learning and identities into outside-school spaces.