An introvert in the midst: a poetic self-study of the lived experiences and challenges of an introverted teacher

Crowley, Joe (2021) An introvert in the midst: a poetic self-study of the lived experiences and challenges of an introverted teacher. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This research represents a highly personalized account of the complexities, interpretations, and reflections on the experiences and challenges faced by an introverted teacher in the workplace. Positioning myself as both the subject and the researcher in the social context of a middle school setting propelled this self-study of my experiences as a teacher in the Avalon Region of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Through an insider’s vantage point, I have chronicled and traced my own experience using a combination of qualitative methodologies: autoethnography and poetic inquiry. These genres of qualitative research, complemented by a phenomenological lens, bring the reader closer to the lived experience of the author. This study supports the notion that poetic inquiry, critical reflection, and personality investigation can prove to be valuable tools for empowering teachers and helping to improve their understanding of self, their professional practice, and their relationship with their students. Using self-study to explore my experiences with introversion helped to unfetter my own unique voice and convey personal thoughts and emotions that led to findings that contribute to the knowledge base of the introverted experience as a sociological phenomenon.

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