Drawing on a narrative inquiry with students in an English course entitled Girlhood, this paper explores the ways in which the experiences of teaching the course, and inquiring into two girls’ experiences of the course, shaped the future practice of the teacher/author. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s writings on natality, we inquire into how the teacher’s stories have shifted and changed over time and place, and how they reveal the uncertainty and possibility that exists in all new beginnings. Being reborn is a messy business, filled with unexpectedness as we untangle old and new identities.
From November 2023 to June 2024, an a/r/tographic study group gathered to engage with the concept of sustainable relationality. With the methodology of a/r/tography and propositional thinking, the relational gathering became an experimental curricular uncommonplace, a messy yet nourishing place from which to envision different ways of working and being. After introducing the intentions and theoretical background of the study, two art-based engagements that emerged for two groups of master’s students are offered. Reflecting on the transitions undergone by these groups, we speculate on the conditions that might enable similar educational opportunities for human flourishing sustained by deep relational encounters.
This article explores spaces for transformation for teachers and learners using picture books, encouraging them to share their stories and have their voices heard through multiple forms of representation. We describe one teacher's journey with her secondary school students. Classroom data show how reading and creating picture books provoke holistic and comprehensive discussions about topics of societal and personal importance such as equity and inclusion. Benefits for students to create and share their stories include (a) participating in meaningful, inclusive, and socially just discussions that promote interconnectedness and diversity; and (b) becoming positive role models through interactions and relationships with younger students.
From November 2023 to June 2024, an a/r/tographic study group gathered to engage with the concept of sustainable relationality. With the methodology of a/r/tography and propositional thinking, the relational gathering became an experimental curricular uncommonplace, a messy yet nourishing place from which to envision different ways of working and being. After introducing the intentions and theoretical background of the study, two art-based engagements that emerged for two groups of master's students are offered. Reflecting on the transitions undergone by these groups, we speculate on the conditions that might enable similar educational opportunities for human flourishing sustained by deep relational encounters.
