Taking on the identity of an inclusive practitioner

• Janet Goepel

• Sheila Sharpe

Becoming a SENCO

Becoming a teacher is: Complex process – influenced by personal

attributes, values and beliefs & influences of external training

Becoming a SENCO involves: Transition from established teacher identity

to becoming specialised teacher

This paper is informed by theory, research and empirical evidence

Professional identity Goes beyond a set of prescribed behaviours – is

more a way of becoming (Cruess et al 2014)

Is a process – a person with their pre-existing identities develops a new identity congruent with the profession they wish to belong to

An emergent feature of social interaction (West and Fenstermaker 1993)

The notion of 'true self' is discursively managed (Wooffitt 2005)

Is not fixed, but shifting ambiguous, the result of culturally available meanings.... (Kondo 1990)

Identity formation – how?Communities of Practice 5 dimensions of professional identity acquisition

(Wenger 1998)

Identity Tensions/Identity dissonance

Learning moments (Pillen et al 2013)

Can oppose teacher's feeling, values, beliefs, perceptions – identity dissonance (Monrouxe 2010)

Centrally held sub-cultures costly to lose (Beijaard 2004)

Cyclical process of managing challenges leading to greater competence leading to greater confidence

'Talk the work' (Jarvis-Sellinger et al 2001)

Identity formation – how?Who you are now and who you will become

through the process of socialisation (Steinert et al 2014)

Socialisation Socialising agents include peers, family,

colleagues, formal teaching, learning environment, mentors & tutors

'the melding of knowledge and skills with an altered sense of self' (Hafferty 2009)

'Learning to be an insider' (Hafferty 2009)

TENSIONS negotiate

accept compromise

reject

accept

Personal and professional identity

Who you are

genes gender/race religion culture socio-economic sexual orientation

Experienced teacher

Teacher

NQT

RQT

Experienced

teacher

COMPETENCE

TENSIONS negotiate

accept compromise

reject

SENCO as

leader

SENCO as

administrator

SENCO as

leader

carer

administrator

manager

COMPETENCE

Community of practice teachers

Legitimate peripheral participation

Full participation

Legitimate peripheral participation

Full participation

Model of SENCo socialisation

Discourse and Socialisation Mills (1997:15) suggests that ‘discourses structure both

our sense of reality and our notion of our own identity’.

Helpful in explaining how the SENCos assimilate the discourses emanating from their community of learning where discourses arise out of processes and relationships.

Foucault (1980) argues that discourses influence how ideas are talked about, put into practice and used to regulate the conduct of others.

SENCos need to decide whether they are accepting of the current discourse or challenging of it.

Developing professional identity: Tensions

(Adapted from Pillen et al 2013)

Teacher or SENCO?Caring or being tough?Feeling incompetent but seen as expert?Understanding of SEND as teacher and understanding as SENCO - discrepancyDiscourse conflictContradictory institutional attitudesCareer perspectives?

Time spent teaching or non-teaching tasks?Tensions regarding respect of students integrity or not?Loyalty conflict - parents, pupils, staff?Pupils as whole people or learners?Emotional distance?Differences over approaches to teaching

Negotiating identity – conflicting discourses

• the contradictory and paradoxical nature of special needs discourse as against the discourse of inclusion, creates tensions in the role of the SENCo.

• there are dilemmas for SENCos who find that they have a label of ‘special professional’ and a required qualification for the role, but they have to operate within an arena conflicting political agendas of raising standards and performativity, inclusive education and equality of opportunity

Taking on SENCO identity

LeaderTeacher or SENCO?Feeling incompetent but seen

as expert?Understanding of SEND as

teacher and understanding as SENCO - discrepancy

Discourse conflict

CarerCaring or being tough?Time spent teaching or non-

teaching tasks?Tensions regarding respect of

students integrity or not?Loyalty conflict - parents,

pupils, staff?Pupils as whole people or

learners?

AdministratorTime spent teaching or non-

teaching tasks?

ManagerContradictory institutional

attitudesDifferences over approaches

to teaching

What the SENCOs saySENCO as leader Other teachers saw Felicity as being an

expert: 'I quickly gained the knowledge and expertise in working with children with a wide range of needs'

Karen felt empowered to make 'informed decisions through enhanced understanding' even if decision was unpopular. She was viewed 'as having a much more authoritative role in school'

What the SENCOs saySENCO as Manager Felicity is not a member of the Senior

Leadership team – manager, but feels she would like to be involved in decision making processes around the needs of children with SEND

Karen saw her role as manager as integral to her role as leader – manages resources, TAs. Where conflicts over provision occurs,she uses her skills as a leader to justify choices of resourcing

What the SENCOs saySENCO as Carer Dilemmas relate to values, beliefs,

relationships, being passionate, communication, personal and professional ethics

'When I truly believed in an issue, I could apply a more authoritative approach to greater effect' Felicity

'a more human and sensitive approach' – 'emotionally draining' 'overwhelming' Karen

What the SENCOs saySENCO as Administrator 'operational nature of the role' Karen Tensions of non teaching aspects of the role –

limited support, funding, time 'Very frustrating – time constraints and limited

budgets can have a damning effect on the development of my visions and ideas for implementing provision for children' Karen

'robust monitoring systems in place' led to Laura being seen as a leader in her school

ConclusionSENCOS develop their specialist identity

through:

Resolving tensions or dilemmas within the process of socialisation

Moving from full participant as teacher, but peripheral role as SENCO, to full participant as SENCO within a new community of practice