Getting to We

How do beginning teachers experience the complex process of learning to teach in an urban setting? This article contributes to the literature on teaching in urban settings by theorizing the process of learning to teach based on longitudinal interview data generated from practitioners who were viewed by the researcher as critical informants. The author argues that beginning urban teachers' sense of efficacy is enhanced if they develop a transformative teaching practice focused on “we,” highlighting the mutual learning between teacher and pupils. Findings highlight critical components of “getting to we:” bi-directional learning, relational knowing, humanizing pedagogy, and reflective, dialogic discourse.