Professional conversations: new teachers explore teaching through conversation, story, and narrative

Undergraduate students and recent graduates of an urban teacher education program came together regularly to talk about becoming reflective and effective teachers. Qualitative analysis of the conversations produced a rich picture of the complex learning at the heart of teaching. The study draws attention to factors in teacher education and schools that support and hinder new teachers’ work in urban schools, and contradicts established developmental models of expertise. Additionally, the study highlights the potential of conversation and story telling to sustain teacher learning and inquiry and to meet local needs for teacher learning, teacher research, and teacher-directed professional development.