| Abstract | In the backdrop of critical theory/feminism, Britzman unfolds a captivating narrative of two student teachers, Jamie Owl and Jack August. Through her voice, we clearly see and feel these students' anxieties and frustrations as they struggle to create meaning from their experiences, meaning that is as elusive as it is confusing when one struggles to become a successful teacher in a less than perfect place-a high school classroom. For the most part, Britzman's voice and mine have the same echo; however, we differ in two fundamental points. First, the use of critical theory as an "empowering" tool that gives the reader the impression that becoming a teacher is a process that can be eventually delineated and understood with unitary precision. Hence, I develop an analysis of critical theory that questions Britzman's suggestions for effecting change in teacher education programs. In the second part of this essay, I suggest that Britzman's choice to observe and report only the unsuccessful experiences of the student teachers raises some research methodology concerns. I argue that, in the complex world of the classroom, it is hard to believe that student teachers did not fulfill their own agenda at least once. The narratives of student teachers could not possibly just be strings of unsuccessful experiences and broken dreams. Finally, Britzman's possible influence on the students' conceptions and plans of actions is not documented, which leaves the reader with an "incomplete" canvas of Jack's and Jamie's lived experiences. Therefore, this book may encourage more debate on many methodological and conceptual questions brought up by critical theory that remain unanswered. Nevertheless, as an ethnographic study on the negative experience encountered by student teachers, Britzman's book is insightful and well worth reading. |
