Running Head: Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

Creating Autonomy in the Classroom: The Importance of Self-Identity in Teacher

Leadership

MATC Synthesis Paper

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Teaching and
Curriculum
Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University
Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

Abstract:

This is a synthesis of my experience in the Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum (MATC)

program at Michigan State University. Throughout the coursework of the Master’s program, I

have been able to reflect and think critically about my own teaching pedagogy and philosophies.

In doing so, an overwhelming theme occurred: the development of my self-identity as a teacher.

Early in my teaching career, it was difficult for me to develop my own identity in education and

take on the role of a leader. I found it challenging to create a sense of autonomy. Often, creativity

in one’s teaching practice is restricted by scripted curriculum, testing demands, and limited time.

However, over the course of the MATC program, I began to develop a sense of leadership and

began to understand what it meant to take the practice of teaching and make it into my own.
Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

Part I: Introduction

“You are brave for still wanting to do this.” “Teaching is so much different than it was

twenty years ago, I would not be getting into it now.” “I am counting down the days until I can

retire.” In the world of teaching, it is impossible to not hear the negativity and whispers of burn

out. To enter a career in a time where education is at a standstill–less and less young people

enrolling into teacher preparation programs, more and more new teachers leaving after the first

five years, and continued restrictions and red tape placed on teachers–is a challenging and tiring

endeavor. When I first decided I wanted to go into education my freshman year of college at

Michigan State University, I was immediately met with unsolicited advice and questions of

whether or not I was sure that this job was something that I still wanted to pursue.

To me, teaching is a calling. When you know you want to teach, it is hard to fight that

feeling. The other thing about teaching is that it is difficult to describe to others, and difficult for

others to understand just how difficult, yet rewarding, the career truly is. There have been honest

moments of doubt where I question what in the world I am doing and why I chose a route so

exhausting. I don’t think there is any teacher out there who doesn’t question this, thinking of an

office job where you have the potential to make double the salary from the outset. Despite these

moments, the moments of feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, stressed, and potentially worried for

your students, there is an undeniable sense of accomplishment and belonging. Teaching is a

career that cannot be taught, regardless of irony. It is something that has to be experienced,

developed, and formed.

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Part II: Problem of Practice

To reflect on the past three years of my teaching career, it is difficult for me to look back

on my first year of teaching. I was confused, overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted. I had

absolutely no idea what I was doing and was overly concerned about what the parents thought of

me. I followed what was done by my team members and did not take time to question anything

because I did not have the time to do so. I felt unsure of myself and whether or not I was cut out

for this job. It was hard to understand the pressure of being in charge of twenty-five students

each and every day but not feeling capable or strong enough to back the decisions I made in my

classroom. According to Dikilitaş & Mumford (2019), “teacher autonomy has two dimensions,

willingness and ability.” I believe that most first year teachers lack the ability to develop

autonomous teaching practices because they are reliant on mentors and curriculum to guide them

through. However, as teachers progress through their career, I believe that it becomes less about

ability and more about the willingness to grow and learn as an educator. As time progressed, I

found myself needing to build on the skills I already had as a teacher to create a sense of identity

and autonomy within my classroom and teaching practice. Now, with my third year coming to a

close, I have finally begun to understand the importance of self-identity as a teacher and the

influence this has on a classroom community.

Teaching is a stressful career that requires extensive training followed by hours of

professional development and continuing education. With a stressful job comes the possibility of

burnout. “Teachers have to deal with multiple stressors such as time pressures, poor working

conditions and dealing with discipline problems of students or encouraging students who are

unmotivated” (Zhu, et al. 2018). Self-identity and self-concept have been linked to a teacher’s
Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

happiness in the field. According to Zhu et al. (2018), “Teachers with a low or negative

self-concept might suffer stress or emotional problems” whereas teachers that felt confident in

their teaching practice and had high self-concept, were more likely to stay in the career. In order

for teachers to have high self-concept, they need to feel successful in their practice and promote

student’s learning. One way for this to occur is for teachers to gain confidence in their practice

and create a sense of autonomy and independence in their own classroom.

Creating and establishing autonomy within the teaching field is challenging. There are

many expectations placed on teachers’ shoulders and a schedule that needs to be followed.

Kajitani (2015) stated that “today's teaching requires a masterful blend of content knowledge and

innovative teaching methods, mixed with the ability to function in a system that requires us to be

highly collaborative, technologically savvy, and relentlessly outspoken about the needs of our

students and profession.” To be able to develop self-identity within the bounds of curriculum is

to become a teacher leader. It is understanding that learning does not just happen through

curriculum, it happens through trust, connections, socialization, and love.

What exactly is identity in regards to a teacher and professional? How does one define it?

It seems as though identity and autonomy are used a lot in reference to teaching and education

but there is not a clear cut definition of what it means to have an identity as a teacher, or to

develop your identity. Davey (2013) described professional identity as being “in essence, about

internalized mental models or ideals located within individuals. Over time, these internalizations

may change in response to external events, but they can only be constructed by individuals as

reflections about themselves. Identity is how individuals see themselves, rather than how others

see them, and identity formation is thus the process by which a person attempts to create
Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

congruence between his or her self-image(s) and the image(s) others seem to have of them.” I

felt that Davey’s definition resonated with me because identity is something that you develop for

yourself. The way that I want to be perceived as a teacher is going to be reflective in my practice.

The way I think about my practice and develop and change it, the better and more

comprehensive it will become. My identity as a teacher has been solely built from my own

conceptualizations of my own teaching practice and how I have worked to better myself to create

an identity.

Part III: Research Based Practices: Building my Identity as an Educator

I decided to get my Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum my second year of

teaching because it was a plethora of new information that I could use to expand my knowledge

of teaching. I began this journey by enrolling in TE 808: Inquiry into Classroom Teaching and

Learning. It is here where I engaged in an inquiry-based project that was used to identify a

problem of practice (​Artifact I​). After identifying the problem, I created interventions and

assessments to test those interventions. I quickly learned that the more I understood the content I

was teaching, the more effectively I could implement it. From this course, I started to use

Formative Assessment continuously to measure my students’ progress and growth from the

beginning to the end of units in math and reading. This required me to go beyond just using

scripted curriculum. I had to dive deep into what I was teaching to understand the content, the

Common Core Standards, and the overall target or goal of the lesson. Dikilitaş & Mumford

(2019) stated that in order for autonomy and engagement to be created teachers needed to be

“learning about conducting research, drawing conclusions, comparing practices and

speculating…” Teachers had to be engaged in what they were teaching and also question the
Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

curriculum and whether it was comprehensive to their practice. By understanding the content I

was teaching, I began to gain confidence in my teaching practice and in discussing data and

growth with parents and administrators.

The MATC program caused me to look at my own teaching practice through a different

lens. I was forced to consider what is important to me in teaching and what was not. I had to

consider what were the essentials–the things I was required to teach, and what were the things

that were unnecessary and did not support the philosophies and ideologies of my own teaching.

When I began taking CEP 808: Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings, I was

confronted with the question of what learning meant to me. I had to develop my own personal

theory of learning (​Article II​) and, through this process, I discovered that the way I believed

people learn best was not how I was teaching my students. I discovered that socialization was a

key factor in people learning from one another, especially in young children. I began to move

away from the traditional teaching methods and, instead, began each day with socialization. I

implemented the Morning Meeting, began utilizing the Responsive Classroom curriculum, and

considered the ways that positive behavior, honesty, kindness, and acceptance were being taught

in my classroom each and every day. I started to understand what I valued most as a teacher of

young children, and that was not whether or not I got through the entire math book. What I

valued was supporting young children in their development, helping and guiding them through

their thoughts and feelings, and promoting the idea that childhood is about much more than

curriculum.

I believe that one of my greatest strengths in teaching is the importance I have always

placed on building and fostering trusting relationships between my students and myself. I have
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always valued the connection that I am able to form with children and find that the best learning

comes when children feel happy and safe. The MATC program fostered this ideology but it also

forced me to begin thinking more about ​how​ and ​what​ I was teaching, not just the ​why​ of

teaching. I knew what my ​why​ was: I am teaching because I love connecting with and supporting

children in their development. However, I didn’t take as much time to nurture the other aspects

of teaching: how I was teaching and what I was teaching. TE 846: Accommodating Differences

in Literacy Learners, was another inquiry-based project (​Artifact III​) that allowed me to slow

down and think about the content I was teaching. It made me think about the curriculum and ask

myself if I was reaching all learners in my classroom. I gained exposure to more techniques of

differentiation, specifically in literacy, and learned effective intervention strategies. I realized

how crucial it was for me to support students that were below grade level. It also was important

because many of these students were at-risk and had difficult home lives. According to Espinoza

(2012), “Educators who intentionally connect with students and initiate academic interventions

are pivotal in altering students’ education paths.” Adults play a crucial role in influencing the

educational outcomes of students that are at-risk. Espinoza (2012) went on to state that pivotal

moments that can shape a child’s education are fostered by trust, mentoring and advocacy, and

sharing of skills ( Espinoza, 2012). I realized how important my role as a teacher played in many

of my students’ lives and how I could be responsible for shaping their educational outcome.

Kajitani, (2015) said “research has shown that an effective teacher is the strongest in-school

predictor of student achievement.” When I began to think of myself as a stakeholder in the lives

of these children, I began to understand my purpose in education and my role in the lives of my

students.
Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

Understanding the importance of pivotal moments for all students, but especially students

that come from disadvantaged backgrounds, is critical in becoming a teacher leader and creating

an identity as a teacher. When I first entered teaching, I quickly understood that in order to be

successful in this career, I needed to understand my students and their circumstances. I believe

firmly that no student is unteachable and all students have the ability to learn. As Espinoza

(2012) discussed, educators can create a lasting impact on their students by nurturing

relationships with them. It is critical for educators to understand the socio-economic obstacles

that the student is faced with and how to best educate them based on their circumstances, and in

spite of their circumstances (Espinoza, 2012). There is always going to be a diverse set of

learners in the classroom, whether it is in regard to special education needs, race, gender,

socio-economic status, religion, etc. All of these factors influence and contribute to a child’s

education. I have learned just how important it is to be reflective of this and represent all of my

students in the content I teach. In taking TE 825: Diverse Learners and Learning Subject Matter,

I quickly came to learn the impact that curriculum and a child’s education can have on their

identity and self-concept. In researching the lack of representation of minority people, I became

more cognizant of the books I was reading, the books that I was providing and the content that I

was delivering to students. I began to think about ways I could adapt what I was teaching to be

representative of the population of students in front of me. For the research done in this course

(​Artifact IV​), I discussed the importance of having resources and curriculum provided to teachers

that was representative of different populations of students. I became more aware of having

equitable teaching practices and centered my instruction around the twenty-five students that
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were sitting in front of me. I relied on what I knew about them as people, their families, and their

culture and embraced these aspects of them to adapt and alter the content I was teaching.

One of the most prominent research studies I have done within the MATC program came

from CEP 832: Education Students with Challenging Behavior. Through this course, I was able

to understand the ​why b​ ehind my students’ behaviors. Every year, I have been faced with

challenging behavior in my classroom. My first year of teaching, I felt helpless and unsure of

how to respond to behavioral issues that arose in the class. I slowly began to develop my own

sense of classroom management to create a classroom community that was built on positivity

rather than shame. I worked every year to get better at supporting a positive classroom

community and helping students that had difficult behavior. Many of the students that have been

in my class that have exhibited difficult behavior are ones that have experienced trauma in their

lives. Students respond to trauma in different ways and I wanted to understand the best way to

support these students through these difficult moments. CEP 832 came at a time when I needed

behavioral support in my classroom. In my three years of teaching, this year has been the hardest

in regard to behavior. This course provided me with behavior interventions to support students

that had challenging behavior. Having research-based interventions allowed for me to find new

ways to best support my students. This inquiry-based project (​Artifact VI​) allowed for me to

identify a student struggling with behavior in my classroom, document the behavior, and use data

to build interventions to support the success of this student. I found that the more prepared I was

for the different behavior situations that occurred, the more calm and and less reactive I became.

Finally, to me, social and emotional learning and teaching is one of the most important

things you can teach a child. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is defined as “the process
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through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive

goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make

responsible decisions” (“What is SEL?”). I am passionate about supporting students as they

develop and helping them to deal with challenging emotions.

As I mentioned above, I have had many students in my class over the past three years that

have dealt with traumatic situations (divorce, death in the family, mental illness of family

members, loss of siblings through the adoption process, etc.) These experiences shape young

children and can influence their behavior at school. Upon entering the MATC program, I knew

right away I wanted my concentration to be educational psychology because I wanted to learn

more about how to support students coming from difficult situations and how to best respond to

behavior that is associated with trauma. According to Zacarian et al., (2017), in the United States

alone, half of the nation’s total student population are students who have experienced or are

experiencing trauma, violence, or chronic stress.” This staggering statistic exemplifies the feeling

of instability and stress many students bring with them to school everyday. I used my passion for

how to best support these students to frame my experiences within the MATC program. I chose

courses I knew would support me and challenge me to be a better teacher for these students. In

the Summer of 2019, I decided to take CEP 866: Psychoeducational Interventions for Children

and Youth. This course provided me with interventions for supporting at-risk learners. I took a

special interest in this course because it accompanied supporting students that have undergone

trauma. For the final project, we were to make a presentation to our Board of Education pitching

a way to support the needs of the at-risk population in our district (​Artifact V​). The MATC

program has given me a deep understanding of the role a teacher plays in the life of their
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students. We serve as protective factors to students and I have learned just how important it is to

be there to support my students. I believe that my identity as a reliable and consistent adult in

many of these children’s lives has had an impact on them. I have seen my identity as a teacher

shaped by supporting my students, especially the students that need extra support to feel

successful in school.

Part IV: Understanding Leadership through Experience

In order to have a strong identity as a teacher, it is important to understand what it means

to be a teacher leader. As I have engaged in course work throughout the MATC program, I have

learned that there are many definitions of teacher leader, not one more correct than the other.

“The definitions of teacher leader remain varied because teachers engage in a wide range of

activities and roles that involve leadership. Put even more simply, the leader is the inspiration

and director of the action” (Shillingstad, McGlamery, 2017). When I think about teacher

leadership, I associate it with autonomy in the classroom and having your own identity as a

teacher. When you are able to develop enough confidence in your capabilities as an educator,

you are then able to support others, engage in research, and work to promote positive change in

your building or district. According to Vetter (2012), teachers must take steps to make changes

in their roles as professionals. They have to be willing to accept change and be willing to face

challenges along the way. They stated, “teachers must first critically reflect on their current

practice and come to the realization that improvement is needed. Second, they need to become

comfortable with trying innovative strategies and with collaborating with other teachers. Finally,

they must come to terms with both benefits and constraints of changing practice, such as

differing beliefs from colleagues” (Vetter, 2012). I believe that through my own experience both
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in the field of teaching and through the MATC program, I have developed these three essential

skills. I believe that my identity as a teacher and a professional stems from reflection on how to

improve, relying on and supporting colleagues, and I have gone against the grain of teaching

practices done in my building. Although at times it has taken a lot of courage for me to be

comfortable making changes and not following what other teachers do, it has benefited my

teaching practice in the long run.

Teacher leadership differs from educator to educator. Teacher leadership is multifaceted

and can take on many different capacities. As I have progressed through the program, I have

learned my identity as a teacher is also reflective of a teacher leader. My desire to better my

practice, question my pedagogy, and make changes to improve on behalf of my students makes

me a teacher leader. According to Holland et al. (2014), “The term teacherpreneur highlights the

flexible definition of meaningful contribution to education through circuits beyond the classroom

and the idea that these new teachers should be compensated for the expertise they are able to

spread.” Teacher leadership can be any form of contribution to the field of education. As a young

teacher, I have shifted the way in which I view my three years of teaching. I have gained a

wealth of knowledge through the MATC program that has allowed for me to gain confidence in

my teaching practice. Instead of viewing my years of experience as a setback, I now view them

as an advantage. I am able to easily adapt and make changes and share what I have learned with

colleagues. This wealth of knowledge has helped me grow into the teacher I am today.

Part V: Conclusion

In conclusion, I have developed my teaching practice in more ways than one through the

Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum program at Michigan State University. I have been
Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

able to engage in inquiry, research, and data analysis. Through these processes, I have gained

confidence in my teaching practice and established a teaching identity for myself. I have been

able to engage with curriculum in a more in-depth manner and create an environment conducive

to what I believe promotes learning. From my experiences, I have learned what it means to be a

lifelong learner and how to further my role as a teacher leader in my building.

Creating Autonomy in the Classroom

Works Cited

Davey, R. (2013). ​The Professional Identity of Teacher Educators : Career on the Cusp?
Routledge.

Dikilitaş, Kenan, and Simon E. Mumford. 2019. “Teacher Autonomy Development through
Reading Teacher Research: Agency, Motivation and Identity.” ​Innovation in Language
Learning & Teaching​ 13 (3): 253–66. doi:10.1080/17501229.2018.1442471.

Espinoza, R. (2012). Finding Pivotal Moments. ​Educational Leadership​, ​69​(7), 56–59.

Holland, J. M., Eckert, J., & Allen, M. M. (2014). From Preservice to Teacher Leadership:
Meeting the Future in Educator Preparation. ​Action in Teacher Education (Association of
Teacher Educators),​ ​36(​ 5/6), 433–445.
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Kajitani, A. (2015). How Do You Know Whether You’re a Teacher Leader? ​Kappa Delta Pi
Record​, ​51​(3), 121–125. https://doi-org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/10.1080/00228958.2015.1056663

Shillingstad, S. L., & McGlamery, S. L. (2019). Teachers as Leaders: Navigating Multiple Roles.
Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin,​ ​86(​ 1), 25–38.

Vetter, A. (2012). Teachers as Architects of Transformation: The Change Process of an

Elementary-School Teacher in a Practitioner Research Group. ​Teacher Education Quarterly​,
39​(1), 27–49.

What is SEL? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://casel.org/what-is-sel/

Zacarian, D., Alvarez-Ortiz, L., & Haynes, J. (2017). ​Teaching to Strengths : Supporting
Students Living with Trauma, Violence, and Chronic Stress.​ ASCD.

Zhu, M., Liu, Q., Fu, Y., Yang, T., Zhang, X., & Shi, J. (2018). The relationship between teacher
self-concept, teacher efficacy and burnout. ​Teachers & Teaching​, ​24​(7), 788–801.
https://doi-org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/10.1080/13540602.2018.1483913