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Assignment: Temporal Teacher Self-Dialogue
Overview:
This reflective exercise guides future educators through three stages of their teaching identity, childhood aspirations, early-career hopes, and seasoned expertise, by “interviewing” yourself across time.
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Phase 1 – Meet Your Inner Child (10 min):
Imagine yourself at age 8, dreaming of becoming a teacher. Choose 5 prompts from Set 1 (below) that feel most resonant, and “ask” your child-self those questions in writing or sketching. Briefly note your imagined responses.
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Phase 2 – Early-Career Reflection (10 min):
Now picture yourself at the start of your teaching journey. Select another 5 prompts from Set 1 and explore how your motivations, challenges, and values have evolved since childhood.
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Phase 3 – Expert Perspective (10 min):
Envision your wise, future self at least 20 years into teaching. Again choose 5 prompts from Set 1 and record what your expert-self would advise your younger stages.
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Across-Time Insights (10 min):
Finally, use Set 2 (questions A–E) to elicit cross-stage wisdom, e.g., “Which early-career fears did I outgrow?” or “What core teaching passion remains unchanged?” Pose 3 lettered prompts and jot the collective insights.
Set 1 (select any 5):
- What first made you love learning?
- How did you imagine your classroom as a child?
- Which challenge at the start felt most daunting?
- What early success gave you confidence?
- Which student need did you yearn to meet?
- How have your teaching values shifted over time?
Set 2 (choose any 3):
- Which childhood hope still guides me?
- What blind spots did early-career me overlook?
- Which expert habit most strengthens student trust?
- Where should I focus more/less to honour diverse learners?
- If I could whisper one teaching truth across time, what would it be?
Feel free to mix and match or add your own lettered prompts to tailor the exercise to your context.