When the authors consider the articles by Bullock and Ritter, and Clift through the lens of role theory, both show how identity is, in part, constrained by the definitions of the roles individuals are assigned or take up and is developed from a response to the perception of individuals by themselves as well as by others as they act within these roles. While none of these authors posit that they somehow became different people in their internal landscapes, their new roles brought forward tensions that shaped identity in response to concerns for them and others. Role theory asserts that roles constrain and relate to four terms: (1) behavior; (2) persons; (3) context; and (4) characteristics. In their self-studies, the authors of the articles deal with each of these terms as interwoven into their roles as teacher educators or, in the case of Clift, in the shift from teacher educator to administrator of a teacher education program. In the article by Bullock and Ritter, tensions around enacting and learning their identities as teacher educators within an institutional context are the major focus of their self-study. Identity as a researcher is another key identity element for the beginning identities for these teacher educators as they take on the role of teacher educator, because in their institutional contexts research is a major aspect of their work. While they were hired to be teacher educators, they were also hired to be researchers and make service contributions. Appiah (2005) wrote that "identity has patterns built into it... patterns that help individuals think about their lives; one such pattern is the pattern of a career" and the articles by Clift and by Bullock and Ritter help educators think about the ways their identities are shaped within the patterns they fall into, create, and sustain over a life.