Abstract

In this article we narrate an instructional practice we implemented in two different teacher education courses that facilitated conversations about teacher identity through the use of fictional characters who were educators. This practice served two purposes in our course work: firstly, this activity presents students with an opportunity to demonstrate their media interests and career goals; secondly, this activity provides a quick, baseline assessment of how aspiring teachers view their profession and future practice. We detail student responses to this activity and consider how their choices of fictional educators fit into broader patterns we see in popular culture, specifically depictions of teachers within film and television. While our paper specifically centers teachers, there is significant possibility for this activity to be used in any professional-identity training program (e.g., nursing and medicine, social work and counseling, and law). We close the paper with additional questions for future lines of scholarly inquiry into teacher identity and media representation. 

Keywords: teacher identity, memes, television shows, practice-based identity, identity models 

Author Bios

Gillian Mertens is an assistant professor of literacy education at SUNY Cortland. Her research interests include digital and information literacies, teacher preparation, and the interplay between technology and identity. Gillian previously worked as a middle school English teacher in Florida. 

Henry “Cody” Miller is an associate professor of English education at SUNY Brockport. His research interests include young adult literature, graphic novels, LGBTQ education, and educational politics. Cody previously worked as a high school English teacher in Florida. 

Suggested Reference Citation

APA

Mertens, G., & Miller, H. (2024). Three characters and me(me): Positioning popular culture to unpack emerging teacher identity. Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy, volume11(2). http://journaldialogue.org/issues/v11-issue-2/three-characters-and-meme/

MLA

Mertens, Gillian, and Henry “Cody” Miller. “Three Characters and Me(me): Positioning Popular Culture to Unpack Emerging Teacher Identity.” Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy. 2024, vol 11, no. 2 http://journaldialogue.org/issues/v11-issue-2/three-characters-and-meme/