Lourdes Buck

Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher? Are you preparing to enter the teaching profession and wondering what you will bring to your future classroom? Or are you already a teacher seeking to pause, reflect, and better understand your identity as an educator? Before we teach others, we must first understand ourselves. The Professional Identity Formation Journal: The 7 Characteristics of Teacher Identity is a reflective professional journey designed to guide aspiring and practicing educators through one of the most important and often overlooked steps in becoming an effective teacher: forming a professional educator identity. Teaching is more than delivering lessons and managing a classroom. Who we are as educators influences how we build relationships, respond to students, navigate differences, create learning environments, care for others, and ultimately impact the lives of the young people we serve. Yet professional identity is rarely something we stop to intentionally examine. This journal invites educators to do exactly that. Through thoughtful explanations, guided reflection, and purposeful prompts, readers will explore seven essential characteristics of educator identity: Personal Characteristic: Who am I, and what personal qualities do I bring to my role as an educator? Cultural Characteristic: How have my culture, experiences, beliefs, and perspectives shaped the way I understand and interact with others? Relationships Characteristic: How do I build authentic, trusting, and meaningful relationships with students, families, and colleagues? Class Manager Characteristic: How do I envision creating a classroom environment where students feel safe, valued, respected, and ready to learn? Caretaker Characteristic: How will I balance caring for students with maintaining healthy boundaries and caring for myself? Content Knowledge Characteristic: What do I know, what do I need to learn, and how will I continue growing in my area of expertise? Deliverer of Content Characteristic: How will I transform what I know into meaningful, accessible, engaging learning experiences for every student? What makes this journal unique is its two-year reflective process. Each identity is examined from two perspectives: before entering the classroom and during the second year of teaching. This intentional structure allows readers to capture their expectations, beliefs, questions, strengths, and areas for growth before they begin teaching and then return to those same ideas after experiencing the realities of the classroom. The result is more than a collection of journal entries. It becomes a personal record of professional growth and transformation. Whether you are a teacher candidate preparing for your first classroom, a new educator navigating the early years of teaching, or an experienced teacher seeking to reconnect with your purpose, this journal provides space to ask meaningful questions, recognize your growth, challenge your assumptions, and celebrate the educator you are becoming. Your teaching journey begins long before the first day of school. It begins with understanding who you are. We invite you to explore, reflect, and discover how your individual identity transforms as you begin and or continue your teaching journey.Perfect for courses such as: Introduction to Education; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education; Reflective Teaching Practices; Culturally Responsive Teaching; Portfolio Development and Professional Growth; Classroom Management and Learning Environments; Curriculum Design and Evaluation