Teacher Identity, Changing Practice, and the Struggle for Certainty Renita Schmidt The University of Iowa January, 2003

Discourse of Deficits and Standardization We have a philosophy of looking Here at this school At what kids can’t do Versus what they can do. That bothers me so much. We are pigeonholing so many kids. Instead of looking at the diversity And taking those differences That exist naturally in any classroom And you know going with it And growing with the kids And, and documenting and assessing In a way that we can see each child’s individual growth. And I know you can do that And we don’t do that. We try to make everybody the same. That’s the big thing.” (Interview with Janet Evans, actual lines 72-79, 10/17/01)

Change Agent Sometimes I think that I’m maybe a mismatch here. I don’t know. I think maybe I’m the cheerleader that came. Because we had moral problems. (Office phone begins ringing.) I just wrote to someone today. Either I should accept this as a challenge and embrace it and become an agent of change, or maybe I better leave (laughing now) and go someplace else that wants to change. I’m trying to figure out…. people like change but nobody wants to be changed. I’m trying to figure out how this all fits, and you can see that I’m discombobbled cuz I’m still now in my second year trying to figure out where to take this school. Where do we go? (Interview with Janet Evans, actual lines , 10/17/01)

Discourse of Efficiency and Thoroughness I think that AR is good, but I also think you need the instruction of basic skills, the instruction of the other stories. And I think it’s got to be a combination. I think our goal with AR is to show these kids that it’s enjoyable to read. You know, the more you read, the better reader you become, the better student you become because of what you read. I don’t think it’s our real emphasis in our reading program. I mean it’s part when you incorporate it into your classroom, but I don’t think it’s our sole program. (Interview with Connie Johnson, Actual Lines 63-76, 11/2/01)

Support System At one time I did do 40 minutes. I don’t anymore. I do 20. And then whatever else comes along incidentally during the day. This year I’ve kind of toned it down a little bit. Why did that change? Well, because, ummmm…. not that I’m I don’t know. I think it’s a good program, But the push isn’t there anymore. And nothing against our administrator Because I think she’s wonderful, But she doesn’t She’s had a lot of doubts about it. And so she’s not a real backer of AR. And we’ve lost our librarian which was a big push And we’ve lost our technology person Who was a big push. So you lose some people behind you That are support And it’s like… Maybe I’d better be looking For something else out there. (Interview with Connie Johnson, Actual Lines , , , 10/2/01)

Discourse of Classroom Management No, I don’t plan for that. It’s only if they finish their other work… because all of the novels I read are already AR novels. So that in turn is doing the same, only it’s not as much of a choice of theirs. But in study hall, we set the timer and I don’t even have to do it any more, the kids come in and set the timer… ok everybody get out your books… get ‘em open. And they AR then for 15 minutes. And they’re so well trained. (Interview with Jackie Stapleton, Actual Lines , 10/12/01)