Writing to Heal: Viewing Teacher Identity through the Lens of Autoethnography

Authors

Erin Parke, University of South FloridaFollow

Abstract

This autoethnographic work explores my experience with illness (specifically anti-N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis), recovery, and career change all in the span of a few months. Through reflexive interviews and a first-person narrative, I analyzed the shifting nature of my identity, specifically my teacher identity as I moved from struggling teacher, to patient, and back to teacher again. I also analyzed how the act of writing, and writing the narrative of this autoethnography, assisted in the healing process. My story shows that in moving from pre-illness to post-illness, I shifted from a strict, content-based teacher to a constructivist facilitator with a focus on critical thinking.

Keywords

Autoethnography, Education, Teaching, Illness

Author Bio(s)

Erin Parke received her doctorate from the University of South Florida. She is currently a public school English teacher in Dunedin, Florida and an adjunct at the University of South Florida. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: ehart@mail.usf.edu.

Publication Date

12-8-2018

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3548

Recommended APA Citation

Parke, E. (2018). Writing to Heal: Viewing Teacher Identity through the Lens of Autoethnography. The Qualitative Report, 23(12), 2953-2972. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3548