Using Metaphors of Teaching to Explore Inclusive Practice with Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

This paper discusses the experiences of a team of tertiary educators who have used an innovative approach to introduce pre-service teachers to the basics of teaching children with special educational needs. Specifically, it focuses on the use of metaphors as constructs that provide insights into individuals' conceptions of "being" a teacher and on what teachers "do". Metaphors are used to provide both experienced instructors and pre-service novices with the invitation to risk entertaining different and challenging ideas about themselves and their teaching. In this paper, we outline the usefulness of rethinking professional practice in terms of different metaphors of teaching, describe how we incorporate the discussion of metaphors into our core special education unit, and share examples of metaphors developed by our students.