Knowing from the Inside: Reflective conversations with and through the narratives of one cooperating teacher

Student teachers report how their experiences during the practicum have a powerful influence on them as developing professionals. However, there is little understanding of the experiences of cooperating teachers who have the responsibility for student teachers. The study reported here used narrative enquiry methods to explore the nature of one cooperating teacher's lived experience as she engaged in what Fish (1998) refers to as 'professional artistry'. The narrative and critical commentary that has been employed supports the use of an artistic/holistic paradigm when exploring the tacitness of knowledge. Such a paradigm provides another dimension to reflection within practitioner research.