Explorations in Teacher Development: Volume 29 Issue 2 (Fall/Winter 2023)
The TD SIG is thrilled to announce the publication of Volume 29 Issue 2 of the Explorations in Teacher Development journal!
In this issue, first, James Porcaro shares his valuable perspective on teaching when retirement is looming. His diverse experiences have led him to vital realizations, but they also raise concerns about further potential going unrealized. As some doors have closed and new opportunities have opened, new teaching contexts have kept his teaching practice fresh and exciting, though even in the same context, each year and each group is interestingly different. However, when teaching opportunities are finally closed to a teacher, questions of freshness and purpose arise.
Second, Denver Beirne offers his exploration into making reflection a communal practice, an act of commoning and communication. We know that teacher reflection is valuable for us, but it is less clear how to foster reflection among our students. Beirne narrates his exploration with the scholarly literature and with the students in his university speaking and listening classes.
Third, Takaaki Hiratsuka and Atsushi Mizumoto report their research into facilitating exploratory talk among Japanese university EFL students, making reflection common in another way. Distinguished from disputational talk and cumulative talk, exploratory talk also balances the doubting and believing games for deeper collaboration and co-construction of knowledge. Their findings suggest that even a brief intervention before discussions can significantly increase exploratory talk.
Finally, Nate Olson shares his research into team teaching with soft CLIL, showing how teacher collaboration is often agonistic and is all the more transformative because of this dissensus. Even in the same context and within the same discipline, English language teachers can challenge their own and others’ sedimented thoughts and practices, with benefits for both teachers and students. Thinking with the other articles in this issue, we might say that team teaching can become a practice of exploratory talk or shared reflection in action, a praxis that invites students into this and similar dialogue.
Click here to access this issue.
Articles
EDITORIALS
- Expanding Experience, Expanding Meaning – Nick Kasparek
PERSPECTIVES
- Teaching at 78: Facing a Fear – James W. Porcaro
EXPLORATIONS
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Exploratory-Talk Instruction on EFL Group Design – Takaaki Hiratsuka & Atsushi Mizumoto
- Team Teaching at the University Level: Differing Views on a Soft CLIL Approach – Nate Olson