9.4 Findings
Thefindings discussed in the following sections contribute to the understanding of
the central influences on the LTEs’practices and considers how these guide pri-
orities established for their literacy courses. First, their personal backgrounds as
well as classroom teaching experiences are presented, followed by a discussion of
their goals and pedagogies in higher education, andfinally the impact of increasing
government intervention is described.
9.5 Influences on Practices
To understand the LTEs as individuals, participants were asked to create a timeline
identifying personal and professional turning points. In analyzing the data, three
key influences on their current practices were identified, see Fig.9.3.
9.5.1 Influence of Early Life Experiences
Interestingly, almost all LTEs identified a profound experience from their early
childhood which influenced them as classroom teachers and continued to shape
their work as teacher educators. There was a direct link between these early
childhood experiences and their current goals for their course. In recounting these
stories, it was as if these pivotal experiences had happened yesterday. For example,
Maya^1 (US) recalled as an English Language Learner (ELL) she was considered a
“poor”student in her regular English program but was a high achieving student in
her Saturday heritage classes, which were taught in Spanish. As a teacher educator
she focused on helping student teachers acquire both the skills to meet the needs of
ELL students and cultivate a disposition that values the rich linguistic resources
they bring to the classroom. Sara (Australia) was raised in a poorly resourced rural
community; however, she was offered a scholarship to attend teacher’s college. As
a teacher educator she aimed to help her student teachers understand issues perti-
nent to rural education and her research is also focused on rural education. Jessie
(Canada) recounted the story of her sixth-grade teacher Mr. Ward who was thefirst
teacher who believed in her. As a teacher educator she emphasized to her student
teachers that one teacher can make a difference in the life of a child.
(^1) Pseudonyms used for participants.
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