The Puzzle

Abstract

There are many aspects of the self that connect and influence teaching. However, these varying pieces and parts of the self can feel compartmentalized, removed, unconnected, and oftentimes completely undesirable. In this work, two authors weave their stories together to narrate their journey toward an understanding and uniting of the pieces of the self that contribute to teaching. This process provided more clarity on the puzzle pieces that made up the various aspects of the self that they internalized, not only as teachers, but also as humans. They embarked on this task to deepen and enrich their understanding of the self and their teaching experiences along with an understanding of how their lived experiences contribute to their work with teachers and to the world in meaningful ways.