This conceptual essay draws on the advice for actors offered by David Mamet and Sanford Meisner in order to highlight how uncertainty is a dilemmatic feature of both acting and teaching. This essay argues that perhaps the only way to prepare for uncertainty (either on the stage or in the classroom) is to be open to uncertainty and to be willing to…

This phenomenological inquiry explores how moments of doubt and professional tension can prompt early-career teachers to question not only the stability of their teaching identity but also their desire to remain in the teaching profession. In light of these findings, the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre is employed to reinterpret the construct of…

In this article, I draw on Søren Kierkegaard's definition of the self and concept of existential despair to argue that the tensions and dilemmas that early-career teachers experience are not only professional but also existential in nature. I support this argument by presenting three anecdotes from two early-career teachers gathered through the…

In this conceptual essay, I argue that there is an aesthetic dimension to all mathematical inquiry and that it is possible for teachers to highlight this aesthetic dimension, even within the context of standards-based mathematics curricula. This curricular approach, however, presents unique challenges to early-career teachers. I highlight those…

The practical intention to maintain lesson momentum is prominent in the classroom thinking of preservice and early-career teachers. This article presents two studies, both of which employed stimulated recall interviews to investigate teachers' in-the-moment classroom thinking. The results of these studies suggest that both preservice and…

This chapter argues for a framing of curriculum in teacher education that we call "deep curriculum," which consciously brings themes of courage, heart, passion, and the inner-life of teachers into teacher preparation and beyond. Deep curriculum is framed around contemporary issues in education including the epidemic of teacher attrition.…

Using the story constellations (Craig, 2007) approach to narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), this study draws upon the experiences of six Finnish educators. Participants' narratives confirmed that research-based approaches are critical to elementary teacher education programs and for decision-making (Jakku-Sihvonen, Tissari, Ots,…

Engaging students in curriculum is recognized as important to their academic growth and sense of belonging in school. Using a narrative inquiry approach, we conducted participant observations and interviews, and interacted in the classroom community to learn about complexities of building relationships with students of diverse social and cultural…