Building on our Strengths:
Second International Conference on Language Teacher Education

While many have touted the importance of professional community in supporting teacher learning, we have relatively few ways of charting the formation of community. In this talk, I will draw on our analyses of a school-based professional development project to propose a model of professional community for teachers. I will also describe the difficulties in maintaining diverse perspectives and how familiar fault lines--both within society at large and in the culture of school--threaten the pursuit of community. Given the formidable challenges facing efforts to build community within schools, I will also address why we should continue to care about community.

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