Reflection: What does “teacher identity” mean to you? What does it look like right now?

Personally, the term “teacher identity,” means another aspect of my own identity in which I am building towards a more professional and adaptive personality. I know that I want to remain who I am, all the way down to my core values in my future classroom. But it is in being prepared to work in a professional environment with colleagues and my students that requires for an air of seriousness and professionalism that will become part of my teaching identity. This will not take away from who I am but merely add another dimension to who I am when I begin my career. Either way, retaining an air of optimism, enthusiasm and excitement for my future classroom remain key features of my teacher identity. It all comes down to working on a balance of who I am at the moment and what the professional aspect of my career means in the workplace and in the classroom. I know that in my time at the University of Saskatchewan, which has been brief, I’ve already begun academic professionalism that is growing towards the professionalism I will have in the classroom. There are many ways that my teaching identity will continue to grow, but the aspects of professionalism and understanding how to accommodate my personal from my school life is an important step.