“Step Outside”: A portrait of an exemplary rural K‐8 science educator

Abstract

This study uses portraiture methodology to co-construct and share the story of a nationally recognized rural K-8 science teacher with more than 30 years of teaching experience. Our analysis and synthesis revealed one central theme “Step Outside” and three subthemes: (1) Step Outside of the rural classroom, (2) Step Outside of the K-8 teacher's comfort zone, and (3) Step Outside of science silos, that have been central to the teacher's personal and professional journey. Examining the ways, these subthemes have intersected across the career of an exceptional rural teacher offers valuable insight to the development of teacher identity and how it shapes practice and research, especially within marginalized contexts such as K-8 science education and rural settings.