Reflecting on professional identity is an exercise in self-awareness necessary for continuous growth and intentional practice. Professional identity shapes how we perceive our roles, connect with others, and navigate our careers.
Sachs (2005) states that identity reflects “the way that people understand their own experience and how they act and identify with various groups” (p. 8). This understanding navigated my reflections on my past career experience and future expectations.
Recalling my teaching days in academia, I realize that my thoughts on my professional role are close to those of Gregory Chahrozian, presented in this video.
Professional identity is not a static label but a dynamic entity that evolves with every task. Vloet and van Swet (2010) highlight that this evolution can be explored through job motivation and self-image. Rogers and Scott add to this, claiming professional identity to be a dynamic process, which I strongly relate to as this attitude opens new growth opportunities.
When my professional path started transforming to learning design, I felt like teaching experiences deepened my understanding of how to do my work. I came to the simple conclusion that learning design is not just a skill but a transformative tool that empowers me to create accessible, inspiring, and life-changing experiences for all learners.
Yet, there is still much to reflect on and decode hidden "identity" puzzles, which one day will become a finished picture of my professional path and all the roles I played on it.
References
Rodgers, C. R., & Scott, K. H. (2008). The development of the personal self and professional identity in learning to teach. In M. Cochran-Smith, S. Feiman-Nemser, & K. E. Demers (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education: Enduring questions in changing contexts (3rd ed., pp. 756–784). Routledge.
Sachs, J. (2005). Teacher education and the development of professional identity: Learning to be a teacher 1. In Connecting policy and practice (pp. 5–21). Routledge. TEDx Talks. (2023, July 19). It’s Not What You Teach, It’s What Kind of Teacher You Are | Gregory Chahrozian | TEDxAUA [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diFrz4RENEY
Vloet, K., & van Swet, J. (2010). ‘I can only learn in dialogue!’ Exploring professional identities in teacher education. Professional Development in Education, 36(1–2), 149–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415250903457083
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