Novice teachers face considerable challenges as they transition from teacher education programs into the teaching profession. The first year of teaching can be a real reality shock for many novice language teachers and if they manage to survive this important inaugural year, it does not mean the danger is over or that they will continue to develop as teachers because research indicates that that more novice teachers drop out after their third year of teaching. The genesis of the case study reported in this paper is unique in that I was approached by Roger (a pseudonym) at the beginning of his third year of teaching because he said he was eager to engage in reflective practice during this year because he was aware of my work facilitating ESL teachers with their reflections. Roger looked and sounded a bit ‘down’ when we met as he said he had just finished teaching a short course to begin his third year and he said it was a really bad experience for him. This paper presents a case study of an ESL teacher in his third year of teaching in in Canada as relayed through interviews, discussions, journal writing and classroom observations. By documenting Roger’s journey and experiences. I aim to provide a sense of his professional world from his perspective as he reflects through the lens of a holistic framework for reflecting on different aspects of this practice (e.g., philosophy, principles, theory, practice and beyond practice).

Authors:
Thomas Farrell, Brock University, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Thomas S.C. Farrell is Professor of Applied Linguistics at Brock University, Canada. Professor Farrell’s professional interests include Reflective Practice, and Language Teacher Education. Professor Farrell has published widely and has presented at m

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