Relato de experiência: a construção da minha identidade docente enquanto professora de língua inglesa

Abstract

The article consists of an experience report focusing on the construction of the researcher's teaching identity while working as an English language teacher, based on the studies of Kanno and Stuart (2011), Schutz and Zembylas (2009), Barcelos and Ruohotie-Lyhty (2018), and Pavlenko (2007) on the formation of English teachers' identities, beliefs and emotions during teacher training and autobiographical narrative research. The objectives of the study are to analyze the researcher's entire experience, before and after becoming an English language teacher, and to investigate her own development and the construction of her teaching identity. Furthermore, the project also aims to understand the researcher's motivational system as a teacher, her emotions, fears, challenges, and beliefs concerning teaching and learning the English language. Regarding the methodology, thematic analyzes were carried out to answer the following questions: how did the researcher's motivations, fears, challenges, emotions, and beliefs influence the construction of her teaching identity; in what aspects her journey as an English language student affects her performance as a teacher; and at which moment she starts to recognize herself no longer as just an English language learner but as a true professional in the field. Finally, the conclusions of the research indicate that the construction of the awareness of the researcher's journey as a student, her beliefs, and emotions influence the formation of her teaching identity in a significant way, as these factors can shape all her professional and personal development as an English language teacher.