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

was doing the budget and where they were able to see where their parent's
salary was going. They were able to see it - you know, involvement to such an
extent where each one of them, I didn't force the issue. I drew their
attention to it. You know they are quite young. You...they drew up their own
budget. And the pupils said that they were so glad that they had done that
and the next time their parents mentioned that the budget does not allow
them to buy certain things they will understand.
Next year, we are thinking of having a market day. We wanted to have it this
year, but the time factor was against us. Next year, definitely, I want to go
for that and get them involved in making articles. To let them have the
feeling of it, you know. It's very important.
In the next extract, Mary began to make concrete suggestions as to the activities that the
programme could begin to plan for the following year. She was keen to begin to develop
curriculum materials with a group ofteachers. Mary had shown particular interest in this
aspect and had identified herself as someone who could lead such a process. She raised
the issue with the group on several occasions but teachers were reluctant to commit to the
task, citing personal constraints as inhibiting factors. She did, however, initiate a
discussion with a smaller group ofinterested grade four teachers.
MM: If you were to make suggestions about how we could improve the whole
programme, what would you say?
Mary: In fact I was looking at it as something where we could start with like from
grade four, and look at packages and look at our curriculum statement and
say right these are the things they expect of us let's do a package with the
assessment, slowly, just start with the first grade and then if that's a
success, then take the next step because each grade will follow up into the
next. So you don't do all together - we could focus on grade four and do a
good job of it - test it and try it and review it.
Mary explained that she had 'grown' as a result ofparticipating in the programme. For
her it was an opportunity to embark on something 'new'. She had been teaching at her
school for twenty-five years and described how she had been through 'difficult times',
having been 'through the mill'. The TEMS project provided Mary with an opportunity to
create or change her identity. In the next chapter, we see how Mary had begun to speak
about definitive plans for her involvement and leadership in EMS curriculum
development.
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