In search of the memories that make us good teachers

Abstract

What makes us good teachers is, above all, the way we make meaning of the memories we accumulate throughout our lives, more specifically, our school experiences. Memories of how our teachers interacted with us and fostered relationships. Based on this understanding of teacher education, this article aims to promote reflection drawing on: (1) narratives of in-service teachers; (2) undergraduate students enrolled in the Teaching Practice course; and (3) graduate students in the course The (Auto)biographical Method and Teacher Education, all of whom shared narratives about the presence of good teachers in their lives. The (auto)biographical method and the use of narrative as an analytical device were employed to interpret the body of memories collected from these three groups, totaling more than one hundred participants. In the memories examined, classroom content rarely emerged. On the contrary, participants were often unable to clearly articulate the specific subject matter of their memories; instead, they primarily reflected on relationships between teachers and students, not only within the classroom, but also in various spaces such as hallways, recess areas, libraries, among others. The narrated memories demonstrate that teacher education is a continuous process, shaped not only by academic instruction, but also by our life experiences and our trajectories within school contexts.