Bildung and flow in teachers' stories of what it means to be a good teacher

The expression a good teacher is ubiquitous both within and outside of schools. This study set out to better understand what being a good teacher means to practicing teachers. Using an interpretive methodology informed by philosophical hermeneutics, stories were gathered through one-on-one conversations with practicing K-12 teachers in response to questions such as what does it mean to be a good teacher? how do you know if you're a good teacher? do you ever feel like a bad teacher? who are your teaching role models? The stories shared by participants demonstrate an interplay between the Gadamerian (1989) concept of Bildung and Csikszentmihalyi's (1990) notion of flow. Thus, it seems that being a good teacher is not experienced as a static state, but rather as a dynamic experience which is made possible by and contributes to the ongoing growth of teachers. The participants' stories demonstrate how the construction and articulation of such narratives provided the teachers with insight into their own ongoing development ( Bildung) ; these stories also have the potential to promote deeper understanding for administrators and teacher educators as they support the work of teachers.