“That’s What You Want to do as a Teacher, Make a Difference, Let the Child Be, Have High Expectations”: Stories of Becoming, Being and Unbecoming an Early Childhood Teacher

Abstract

This article explores the experiences of four individuals who changed careers into early childhood teaching in Victoria, Australia and later left the profession. The study was conducted with a narrative inquiry approach and reveals insight into motivations for becoming an early childhood teacher (ECT), experiences of being an ECT and factors that lead to un-becoming an ECT. Participants were motivated by pragmatic reasons such as career advancement and family-work compatibility alongside intrinsic interest when becoming an ECT. They entered the profession eager to support children's learning and development. However, their experiences compromised their health and wellbeing and inhibited them from teaching as they envisioned. The findings of the study hold implications for policy makers, employers and higher education in effort to retain and sustain ECTs.

Empowering of the teacher’s identity crisis for supporting quality young gifted education

“…Because if their voices are heard and used as a material consideration in strengthening the professional identity of teachers, it will reduce the gap between their expectations and the government. This research also has the support from (Ciuciu & Robertson 2019) that the deficient managerial, inadequate administrative allotments, minimal professional autonomy, long working hours, and disrespect of teaching identity and practices inhibited teachers from embodying their professional identities while being a teacher. The effectiveness of the implementation of supervision in primary schools also needs to be improved, because so far the supervision tasks overlap between supervision and evaluation (Mette et al 2017).…”