An Autoethnographic Account of Language Teacher Identity: Interrogating Professional Relationships and Emotion

In this study, I use sociocultural theoretical frameworks combined with autoethnography as a research method to investigate the aspects that contribute most significantly to my language teacher identity within the context of my professional role as an ENL (English as a New Language) teacher in an urban public high school. To do so, I used qualitative methods by collecting data in the form of a reflective journal for 1 month at the beginning of the 2022–2023 school year. I then used descriptive coding to code thoughts, feelings, emotions, and interactions among students, peers, and administration. Finally, I used thematic coding to identify emerging themes. Three major themes were identified: (1) exhaustion stemming from confusion and unmet expectations; (2) joy in connections and self-efficacy; and (3) disappointment and grief tied to perceived failure. This study aims to discuss these themes and to encourage future research to enhance training for pre- and in-service language teachers.