This book evolved from decades of transcultural experiences. Edward Howe’s comparative ethnographic narrative, a blend of narrative inquiry and reflexive ethnography, uniquely captures the essence of teacher acculturation. Each chapter is filled with intriguing teachers’ stories based on lived experiences – connected through the common thread of learning to teach. Compelling teacher narratives, spanning seven decades, show that much of what teachers do is learned implicitly and is culturally embedded.
Teacher Acculturation provides a window into the world of novice teachers from the 1950s through present day. The thought-provoking stories provide a springboard for critical discussions about gender/sexuality, culture/race/ethnicity, Indigenous perspectives, SES/class/religion, location/space/time, and the challenges facing teachers in different contexts.
The author highlights the importance of teacher relationships, built on mutual understanding, trust, mentorship, leadership and guidance. Beginning teachers are largely required to work in isolation, to learn their practice through trial and error – left to “sink or swim.” There is little provision for mentorship and insufficient time to reflect on teaching practices. Collaborative and reflective self-study, as illustrated in Teacher Acculturation, shows great promise to ameliorate this pervasive problem in teacher induction. Thus, the book will appeal to teacher educators, teachers and to anyone interested in the fascinating lives of teachers.