Navigating a teacher\u27s emotional geographies: A self-study of emotion in my teaching life

Any teacher would acknowledge that emotion is part of teaching, but how it functions in teaching contexts is not as readily understood. Though much educational research is inclined towards the cognitive and technical aspects of teaching, strands of recent educational research merging with sociology and psychology have begun inquiry into emotion in teachers\u27 professional lives and the implications. Since there is not yet a systematic means of examining emotion in teaching (Hargreaves, 2001) and only inchoate inquiry into how emotions function in teachers\u27 contexts, I have chosen a self-study to examine the sources and manifestations of emotions in my context, hoping the study will lead to ways to help teachers more fully understand the ways emotions are socially formed in their own contexts to help them remain committed to the essential work of teaching. No two teachers will necessarily respond to events in school with the same emotion, but being mindful about their emotions may be one more aspect of teacher knowledge that will help them navigate the complexities of their teaching lives