Presumed Teacher: an Autobiographic Articulation of a Personal and Professional Educational Identity

Abstract

The author reflects upon and examines his own educational memories, his personal and professional and historical relationship to public education, and his life as a learner. This reflection and examination - complete with connections to many strands of inquiry in broadly accepted educational, sociological, and psychological theory - culminates in both an enhanced self-awareness and in this document, this ethnographic and autobiographic statement of past experiences, present educational frustrations and celebrations, and future educational goals, hopes, and dreams. Likewise, the author argues that this autobiographic statement, this studied articulation, is both an artifact of and a necessary co-requisite to his educational identity. He further asserts the absolute necessity of just such autobiographical writing for his own sanity in the face of multiple institutional mores unrelated to authentic, student-centered learning in public education, for genuine self-awareness and ethical practice for all educational professionals, and for enhanced learning opportunities for all learners at various levels of maturity everywhere.