The Fourth Meaning of Good: ‘Good’ As A Way of Dealing with the Establishment
Through this process of analysis, it became necessary that we reflect on our immigrant experiences and ask ourselves the question, To what extent have we, as immigrant professors become Canadians’ In many instances during this seminar, it became clear to us that teacher candidates, not surprisingly, value symbols and discourses that represent the Canadian mainstream. We noted also that though we viewed ourselves as different from the core group of Canadian professors, teacher candidates sometimes perceived us as similar to this very mainstream.
In other words, even though we thought that because of our backgrounds, varieties of spoken English that are identifiably different from the standard Canadian English, we would be positioned as role models9 by seminar participants. On the contrary, in this particular moment of describing their practicum experiences, we were positioned as representing the establishment – an establishment that is interested in learning that practicum experiences are successful. Consequently, as representatives of the establishment, to teacher candidates we were individuals who are no longer in ‘between zone’; rather, we were affirmatively Canadian.
Through engaging in critical discourse analysis, we were forced to examine not only the teacher candidates’ responses but also to look behind our own motives in posing the question, ‘using one word, how would you sum up your practicum experiences’ To borrow from Fairclough (1989), we had to apply critical interpretative procedures to ‘make explicit what for participants is generally implicit’ (p. 162). Discourses are about power struggle at institutional, societal and group levels. To ask for a representational word to describe experiences of over three weeks was an institutional/establishment request; therefore, the teacher candidates offered an institutional response. The institution would surely want to learn the following about their practicum: (a)’ Suitable’, that is, teacher candidates possessed the appropriate qualities to be teachers; (b) ‘Beneficial’, that is, teacher candidates found the practicum beneficial to their learning and (c) ‘Favorable’, that is, teacher candidates found the practicum suitable and likely to produce the right results or conditions.With years of experience in making delicate LV Replica Handbags, we are waiting to provide the crowning touch to your style. Just feel free to shop Louis Vuitton bags M42024 dog bag 40 handbag /shoulderbag here.
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