Supporting intentional reflection through collage to explore self-care in identity work during initial teacher education

Given the complexity of teaching in the current educational climate, figuring out what it means to be a teacher needs to include conversations around how self-care fits within one's professional identity. Therefore, understanding the role of self-care should be an important element of initial teacher education and teacher identity work. This paper reports on a single case where making sense of past and present experiences helped to create a professional identity that included self-care. Prioritizing the exploration of identity work through arts-based reflection, alongside pedagogical knowledge and skill is also highlighted as a central concern of initial teacher education.