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While I was enamored with the diversity of thought and productive struggle for
improvements that I experienced in my collaborative curriculum and assessment
research work at CMP, I was perplexed by the puzzling emphasis on hierarchy and
rank that I observed in higher education, especially when it occurred in spaces related
to supporting K–12 education. How does one determine and sort the quality of diverse
sets of ideas and viewpoints? How does a focus on prominence and competition
fit with the missions of institutions of higher education, specifically colleges and
departments involving preservice teacher preparation? The classifications of stature
I experienced were not always explicitly stated but often were more like norms of
operations. Examples include the power in a name, the preciousness and protection
of reputation, the prestige of known-ness, the presence of disciples, the register of
one’s speech, and the complexity of one’s commentary.

Where I Fit … For Now
I was in an online training recently focused on promoting students’ identities
as learners in college classrooms. In this training (Museus, 2024), the lead speaker
talked about the overreliance we often have on the labels instructors and students
bring into learning spaces that are assigned to us by ourselves or others. He posited
that if we spent more time exploring the multifaceted nature of our own identities
and how they intersect, compare, and connect with those of others instead of hyper-
focusing on singular components of our identities as labels for categorization,
all learners would be better served as members in a classroom. An intersectional
approach toward identity acknowledges that everyone has something unique to bring
to a learning community and focuses less on sorting or ranking the value of learners
based on their experiences, personalities, or traits.
So, instead of attempting to fit in one column or the other—teacher or researcher—
my future efforts are best spent leveraging what makes me unique as someone who
possesses qualities of both roles. Sitting at the intersection of teaching and research
as a mathematics teacher educator, I have always enjoyed facilitating conversations
and collaborations across content and areas of expertise. Thus, navigating multiple
aspects of my identity affords me the ability to recognize and validate the ranging
identities of others in my orbit. Further, unpacking the expectations that are either
internally or externally assigned with the labels we carry is helpful for identifying
opportunities where critique and reframing are warranted.

References
Adams, H. (1983). The education of Henry Adams. Franklin Library.
Lappan, G., Fey, J. T., Fitzgerald, W. M., Friel, S. N., & Phillips, E. D. (2002). Getting to know
Connected Mathematics: An implementation guide. Prentice Hall.

Museus, S. (2024, March). The CECE model. [Online training on the Culturally Engaging Campus
Environments (CECE) Model from the National Institute for Transformation & Equity
(NITE)]. Culturally Engaging (CE) Training, Zoom Online Meeting.

Walls, J. (2011). Half broke horses: A true-life novel. Scribner.

Wheeler, L. (2022, February 15). “A good teacher is like …” … do you agree? Wheeler’s thoughts
on teaching: The thoughts of a high-school teacher. https://mslwheeler.wordpress.com
/2022/02/15/a-good-teacher-is-like-do-you-agree/

54 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators