Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...

The lengthy timeframe ofthis project required a sustained cordial relationship with
teachers and principals. Access is not negotiated once and then settled. It is a process and
not a simple decision (Delamont 2002). I adopted a range ofstrategies to establish myself
in each educational setting.
A former teacher education college that had merged with the university had thousands of
good quality textbooks in storage. These were identified as surplus stock and available
for donation to needy institutions. This presented itselfas an ideal opportunity for me to
build and develop relationships with each ofthe participating schools. Four ofthe five
schools participating in the project were schools with developing libraries. I 'donated' a
large number ofbooks from the University library to each ofthe participating schools.
These books included dictionaries, English classics (by authors that included Jane
Austen, Thomas Hardy, VS Naipaul and Alan Paton), books on drama, first aid, and,
coaching various codes of sport, poetry, magazines as well as equipment, games and
other artefacts that could be of use to the school. I also provided teachers with personal
copies ofsome ofthe 'classics' that teachers said they particularly liked. This gesture
further strengthened my relationship with the principals, the participating teachers and
other powerful teachers at the school.
At Eden Primary, I made a deliberate purchase oftickets for the school's fundraising
dance, and made a point ofattending all the school functions that I was invited to. I made
regular appointments with teachers, always at their best convenience and made a point of
keeping my appointments and arriving on time. I regularly provided the teachers with
curriculum materials that I had specially developed for an in-service programme in
Economic and Management Sciences as well as relevant material that I had acquired over
the years that I was a commerce teacher educator. Through my research fund, I was able
to purchase good quality durable files, which I personalised for each teacher by printing
their names on. Included were file dividers, writing pads and computer diskettes with
electronic versions ofthe 'hard copies' ofmaterials that I had provided.
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