| Summary: | This thesis in the spirit of hermeneutic inquiry tell the story of a teacher facing challenges in her grade nine
English classroom. It is an exposition of reflective
narrative, poetry and hermeneutic writing for the purpose of
deconstructing stale attitudes and searching under cliched
stereotypes with regard to how early adolescents deal with
the English curriculum, the pedagogy and the interactive
dynamics in the classroom. The reflective narrative
presents events, successes, failures and perplexities as
they occurred throughout one year of teaching. The
hermeneutic process reveals assumptions, traces background
knowledge, questions power and gender and acknowledges the
effects of mothering/teaching. It explores the value of
writing inside and outside the classroom by both teachers
and students as a trace of growth in learning.
Most importantly, this thesis presents the intrigue of
metaphor and poetry as a radical hermeneutic in the quest
for understanding. The poetry reveals perceptions about the
complexity of the multiple relationships that are formed in
a classroom. Each poem testifies to the intensity of the
lived experience and provides visionary opportunities for
further understanding.
The complete narrative takes place in a metaphorical
geography where landforms are mixed: bog, rugged terrain,
open plain and seashore. Each location is analogous to the
state of the struggle toward understanding and learning.
Students and teacher live and learn together in this
figurative land. Sometimes they are foe, sometimes they are
friend. The metaphors that bring understanding change as
the writer's perceptions change.
This work acclaims the value of the hermeneutic circle
in its embrace of all individuals struggling and learning in
language together. It is a celebration of hermeneutic
inquiry and what it reveals about the mystery and power of
language in writing.
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