would depend on the teacher’ s central role as the holder of practical knowledge about pedagogy. He noted that if education were to develop as a discipline, it must be based on these practical foundations, integrated equally with theoretical and research concepts.
Coming from a different perspective yet reaching similar conclusions, Brazilian adult literacy advocate Paulo Freire( 1970) advanced the notion of praxis, a cycle of reflection and action that allows educators and their students to co-construct and transform what is learned and how. Although not writing specifically for educators, Donald Schön( 1983) introduced a similar concept of reflection-in-action, emphasizing the importance of professionals reflecting on their daily unfolding decisions and actions as the key to informing cycles of improved practice. These are just a few of the thought leaders who have underscored the importance of educators closely observing, reflecting, and sharing their knowledge and practices.
There are a number of research methodologies for educators to engage in reflective practice, including action research( Kemmis & McTaggart 1988; Herr & Anderson 2015; McNiff 2016; Mills 2018), teacher or practitioner research( Stenhouse 1975; Cochran-Smith & Lytle 1993, 2009; Meier & Henderson 2007; Stremmel 2012), and narrative inquiry( Huber et al. 2013), which are the genesis for pedagogical narratives.
In our evolving work with educators and in teacher research, we have recognized the value of defining a new genre for teacher research, the pedagogical narrative. We define pedagogical narrative as a reflective and interpretive storytelling approach to teacher research, which is part of the larger tradition of narrative inquiry( Clandinin & Connelly 2000; Pinnegar & Daynes 2007; Meier & Stremmel 2010) and counter-storytelling( Solórzano & Yosso 2002; Milner 2007; Delgado Bernal et al. 2012). In style and genre, pedagogical narratives are like works of creative writing or personal memoir. Stories have long been a key form of communication and professional development for educators, as they help educators document their teaching and explore insights from their lived experiences with children( e. g., Ashton-Warner
1963; Paley 1981). This art-based approach complements and, in many ways, counters the more traditional and classically academic expectations— and often distanced voice— for teacher research.
The Strengths of Pedagogical Narratives
Sharing narratives with other educators can open new spaces, discussions, and understandings about how we teach and how young children learn. Based on work from the broader literature and our ongoing work with educators and in teacher research, I argue that pedagogical narratives can serve four functions for early childhood educators:
› Narratives support reflection. › Narratives help shape professional identities. › Narratives elevate children’ s voices.
› Narratives are accessible to the wide range of early childhood professionals.
Pedagogical Narratives Support Reflection
First, pedagogical narratives build reflective capacities: Educators reflect on their lives and invite others into this generative process. As teachers engage in the cycle of telling and retelling their experiences, they can challenge and define their work on their own terms. Through this process, they can dive deeply into joyful and vibrant moments with children while exploring those that puzzle, confound, or challenge them. Readers of these stories can see their own settings and experiences reflected in the words, images, and artifacts shared by others.
For example, in their recently published narrative, Mickey Willis and Amanda Lautenbach were each moving back into classroom teaching after serving in leadership roles. They wondered about the new school year and what they wanted to accomplish during it. They write:
In both of our previous classroom teaching experiences, we used children’ s literature as a provocation for learning. As we came together
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