Taking the Long View by Focusing on Description: Examining Bias, Agency, and the Messy Parts of Teaching

Many times, teaching is viewed only in terms of the end product: what a lesson produces in terms of student learning. This all-or-nothing view ignores the many complicated components of teaching. Consider how this idea of teaching as a singular product is communicated. Some common sayings about teachers are: “Teachers are born, not made” or “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” These sayings and the ideologies behind them suggest that good teaching is an inborn trait or singular action: you’ve either got it or you don’t. But what if teaching were viewed as a layered process like archaeology or an exploded diagram? Such perspectives would no doubt help learners recognize that teaching is a complex, nuanced process that is situated within our own lived histories and embodied experiences.