This proposal addresses the research questions: What do 20 teacher educators identify as turning points in their personal and professional lives? How have these influenced them? Focusing on the lives of teacher educators moves beyond the rhetoric of policy and accountability that dominates the discourse in teacher education (Cochran Smith, 2018). Methodology Consistent with the description of methodology the General Description of the symposium grounded theory was used which meant that analysis began immediately. The first stage of “open coding” of data required considerable interpretation: such coding is “not centrally concerned with simple description [but with] generating grounded abstract concepts, which can become the building blocks for the theory” (Punch, 2014, pp. 180-181). Some themes emerged rather naturally from the interview questions while others were developed based on unanticipated participant insights and examples. The general theme turning point had sub-themes such as “career highlights” and “key research study conducted”. Data was double- and triple-coded which provided in-depth analysis. Once the initial analysis was complete thus exposing the “theoretical possibilities” (Punch, 2014, p. 183), further analysis was conducted through “axial” (or theoretical) coding, “interrelating the substantive categories that open coding has developed” (Punch, 2014, p. 183). This level of analysis is essential for going beyond the superficial to understanding the complexity of teacher educator identity (Kosnik et al., 2013) and practices (Kosnik et al., 2017). This fine-grained analysis provided “powerful accounts” (Lytle, 2013, p. xix) of teacher educators’ lived experiences. Outcomes Four periods of time were identified as influential: childhood; own classroom teaching; doctoral studies; and being teacher educators, especially in leadership positions. Many could recall events with incredible clarity and spoke passionately about them. Pivotal moments in childhood -- being tracked into a particular school -- or as teachers -- working in a high needs school that was severely underfund -- had tremendous impact on them. Their experiences significantly influenced beliefs and practices. Intent of Publication Looking closely at the career trajectories of teacher educators deepens our understanding by making explicit the events that shaped them. It gives insight into the choices they make regarding pedagogy, research, and community-related work. This research has relevance for those who develop induction and on-going professional development programs. These programs need to understand that teacher educators do not silo their personal and professional lives rather they are deeply interwoven -- in other words, you teach and research who you are.

Cochran-Smith, M. (2018). Teacher educators as reformers:? The complicated U.S. Case. American Educational Research Association, New York, 2018. Dharamshi, P., Kosnik, C., & Menna, L. (2019). How did I get where I am?: Turning points in the personal and professional lives of literacy teacher educators. In D. Yendol-Hoppey, D.T. Hoppey, & N. Fitchman Dana (Eds.), Preparing the Next Generation of Teacher Educators for Clinically-Intensive Teacher Preparation. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. Lytle, S. (2013). Foreword: The critical literacies of teaching. In C. Kosnik, J. Rowsell, P. Williamson, R. Simon, C. Beck (Eds.), Literacy teacher educators: Preparing student teachers for a changing world (pp. xv-xix). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. Kosnik, C., Menna, L., Dharmashi, P., (2017). So how do you teach literacy in teacher education?: Literacy/English teacher educators’ goals and pedagogies. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 40(1), 59-72. Kosnik, C., Menna, L., Dharmashi, P., Miyata, C., & Beck, C. (2013). A foot in many camps: Literacy teacher educators acquiring knowledge across many realms and juggling multiple identities. Journal of Education for Teaching 39(5), 534-540. Punch, K. (2014). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Sage