| Education is confronted with mixed messages and competing issues as it attempts to implement the No Child Left Behind Act 2001 (NCLB). Key among them is the matter of the "quality teacher" and the debate among policymakers over certification requirements in order to resolve teacher shortages while assuring all children meet their potential. Lost in the contention over the "quality teacher," is the larger picture. Whatever regulations are imposed on the practitioner, teachers come to the classroom with diverse credentials; as well as unique philosophies, beliefs, and experiences. How do we honor and benefit from the individuality of the teacher as a democracy, and at the same time fulfill the promise of an excellent education for our children?; This study questions if the individuality of the teacher and the promise of an excellent education can be accomplished by isolating the "quality teacher," a phrase that is more aligned with an investigation into the attributes of a quality being than accomplished teaching. I assert that both may be realized through quality teaching as embodied in a practitioner's narrative authority (Olson, 1995), knowledge rooted in a teacher's personal practical knowledge (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000; Craig, 2003a).; This narrative inquiry (Clandinin and Connelly, 1995, 2000) uses Dewey's (1938) continuum of experience to explore the narrative authority of Alvin (pseudonym) constructed out of his personal reflection on his teaching as well as social interaction across a constellation of landscapes (Craig, 2005). I will bring to light how Alvin uses the tensions of professional development and teachers' knowledge communities (Craig, 2003) to construct new knowledge, a maturation of experiences to further advance his narrative authority. And out of Alvin's stories, I will show how one-right-way (Darling-Hammond, 1997b) professional development affects a teacher's professional knowledge landscape (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000). Ultimately, it is Alvin's narrative authority that honors and utilizes his individuality for quality teaching. |
