Speaker
Description
This presentation draws on an autoethnographic study conducted as the capstone project for my Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. The study explores how personal identity shapes teaching practice, particularly in contexts where aspects of that identity may be marginalized or rendered invisible, highlighting a broader gap in the literature: queer educator voices are underrepresented in the field of language teacher identity research (Weng et al., 2024). By sharing this account, I aim to help fill that gap and advocate for more research that centers diverse queer voices.
I reflect on one critical incident that prompted me to examine the intersections of my identity as a novice educator and a queer woman teaching in Japan. After a student came out to me, and I to them, following class I shared the exchange with a colleague, believing it signaled I was succeeding in my job as an instructor. Instead of affirming my interpretation, he suggested the conversation was inappropriate. In that moment, I felt my identity had shifted from that of a competent educator to a potential predator.
Critical reflection, as described by Larrivee (2000), emphasizes integrity, openness, and commitment, rather than compromise, defensiveness, or fear. Drawing on this lens, I was able to contextualize his response, examine my beliefs about myself and my role, engage with the experiences of other queer educators, and ultimately reaffirm my identity as a queer educator making informed choices about student interactions rather than simply dismissing the discomfort or taking on an identity imposed by my colleague.
While there is no single correct way to engage in critical reflection, I share how Larrivee’s (2000) model can enable attendees to move through moments of fear toward transformation, providing practical strategies to deepen their reflective practice and foster inclusive, equitable learning spaces.
References:
Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: Becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice, 1(3), 293–307. https://doi.org/10.1080/713693162
Weng, Z., Troyan, F. J., Fernández, L., & McGuire, M. (2024). Examining language teacher identity and intersectionality across instructional contexts through the experience of perezhivanie. TESOL Quarterly, 58(2), 345–369. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3237