"Of course, my dream is to be the cool, relaxed, easy-going teacher.": Subjective perspectives of student teachers on the teacher profession

Student teachers begin their studies with specific ideas about their desired profession, in which personal experiences from their own school career, assumptions about teaching and learning, and social discourses combine to a complex teacher image. The therein included subjective perspectives of prospective teachers have been little researched to date, but are likely to be highly relevant for the subjective reasons for program selection and later work satisfaction. Through qualitative interviews, this article analyses the teacher image of student teachers at the beginning of their studies, emphasizing personal school experiences as well as future-related self-conceptions. The analysis highlights significant areas of tension between students' personal aspirations and expectations and social and educational discourses on the teaching profession. A better understanding of the teacher image and associated dynamics can help to better prepare students for professional demands and inherent contradictions.