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

difficulties (ibid.). In the above vignette, we see that 'common ground' was emerging
amongst the group ofteachers, namely, that they were coerced into teaching EMS, a
subject that they knew very little about, an issue common to all teachers present. At the
end ofthe session, teachers appeared to see the value ofmore systematic interactions,
citing issues and topics that could be included in future TEMS sessions.
Another characteristic ofthe potential stage evident in the above vignette is the role of
the coordinator. A good community coordinator may not necessarily be an expert in the
field. She needs good interpersonal skills and the ability to identify the development
needs ofpotential members. Her "primary role is to link people, not give answers"
(Wenger et aI2002:81). Cindy's role in the early stages ofthe community's development
entailed apprising me ofthe needs ofthe EMS teachers in the network, providing
systematic coordination ofthe group's activities and 'formally' linking the network's
members via personal invitations to the workshop sessions.
In the next vignette, we see how the community had begun to display elements ofthe
second stage ofdevelopment, namely, the coalescing stage.
Extract ofworkshop observation report (19/03/2003)
As usual, Cindy was well organised. She had the cakes and biscuits and cold drinks laid out on
the table (smart tablecloth) and the desks and chairs all set up. The OHP was also ready for
use. The library was very neat. Cindy had baked the cake herself and was keen for me to try
a piece. r was touched by her commitment.
I was pleased that the people who had committed to the project were present. There were
also a few new faces. r felt that the teachers were becoming more comfortable with me
and with one another.
Cindy welcomed everyone and started off with a short story about geese flying in formation
and the benefits from such 'co-operative' flying. r was thoroughly impressed with the
aptness of the short reading and thanked Cindy for her very thoughtful selection. r reemphasised
the value of such co-operation and networking. The teachers also acknowledged
this need.
In today's workshop, r was determined to encourage teachers to begin take ownership of
the workshop. Teachers had to use the material that we had discussed to draft a short
learning programme. Teachers were divided into groups according to the grades they
currently taught. r provided a framework/guide /structure to assist teachers with the task.
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