Traditional teacher education has ignored the
realities of teachers' lives both inside and outside
the classroom, failing to consider their existence
within broader socio-cultural circumstances. This
study examines the professional development and
transformation of four women teachers including my
mother and myself in China and Canada through
exploring our life experiences in socio-cultural
contexts.
I use autobiographical writings, material from in-
depth interviews and artifacts, as well as
documents. Data analysis indicates that our devotion
to teaching career, optimistic attitude to life,
success in overcoming many difficulties to become
teachers, all stem from our knowing of the Tao of
life . My professional transformation in Canada led
me to understanding teacher as a curriculum maker,
teacher development as both personal growth and
professional development, and professional
transformation as learning from relations.
This study attempts to provide a middle ground for
dialogues among teachers and scholars from different
cultural backgrounds, enabling them to understand
each other and explore new versions of teacher
education.
realities of teachers' lives both inside and outside
the classroom, failing to consider their existence
within broader socio-cultural circumstances. This
study examines the professional development and
transformation of four women teachers including my
mother and myself in China and Canada through
exploring our life experiences in socio-cultural
contexts.
I use autobiographical writings, material from in-
depth interviews and artifacts, as well as
documents. Data analysis indicates that our devotion
to teaching career, optimistic attitude to life,
success in overcoming many difficulties to become
teachers, all stem from our knowing of the Tao of
life . My professional transformation in Canada led
me to understanding teacher as a curriculum maker,
teacher development as both personal growth and
professional development, and professional
transformation as learning from relations.
This study attempts to provide a middle ground for
dialogues among teachers and scholars from different
cultural backgrounds, enabling them to understand
each other and explore new versions of teacher
education.