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Acknowledgments

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The journey to write this book has been an arduous and incredible one, rife with many twists and turns, trials and tribulations. And I would not have reached my destination without the support and assistance of so many people who inspired me, bolstered me, guided me, listened to me, let me cry on their shoulders, read my profuse prose, watched my children, and nourished me—body, mind, and soul. There are so many people who deserve appreciation.

First, this book would not exist today had it not been for the three incredible scholars who served on my dissertation committee, supporting and guiding me throughout the course of the study that informs these pages. These distinguished professors include Jal Mehta, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, and Meira Levinson. As my advisor, Jal encouraged an ambitious research agenda, one that led to this book. Throughout the last 8 years, he has been my “guide on the side,” always asking questions first, sharing insight in the form of personal anecdotes, exposing me to life-changing scholarship, and cheering on my efforts. Through his generous attention, I was able to hone my analytic abilities, improve my writing, and generate meaningful scholarship. Meira, too, generously guided me, with her critical insights and sympathetic concern for me as a person. Her incredibly high standards helped me conduct and report research that was both innovative and rigorous. I am further indebted to both Jal and Meira for continuing to support my work after I graduated from the doctoral program, reading drafts of my book proposal and chapters and helping me think through the process of publishing this work. Moreover, Professor Lawrence-Lightfoot served as both an inspiration and guide throughout this research; she exemplified what is possible in methodology and artistry, while offering genuine warmth and subtle advice to help me find my way to portraiture and through this study. Her incisive questions and keen aesthetic sensibility helped me craft a more thoughtful and beautiful narrative. Overall, I feel honored to have had the opportunity to learn from these amazing people.

The study documented here would not have been possible without the research sites that star in this book. A special thank-you to the faculty and residents from “Progressive Teacher Residency” (PTR) and “No Excuses Teacher Residency” (NETR), who allowed me to observe and examine their thoughts and experiences. In particular, I want to thank “Taylor” from PTR and “Sara” from NETR for taking a great deal of time to sit with me and answer questions. And of course, I must thank my four focus residents—“Julie” and “Casey” from NETR and “Elisabeth” and “Leah” from PTR—for allowing me to interview and observe them multiple times in their programs and then in the field, their first year in the incredibly demanding teaching profession; these four teachers generously gave me hours of their lives, access to numerous documents, and a seat in the back of their classrooms. I am also grateful to the Harvard Graduate School of Education for awarding me various small grants to aid in the collection and analysis of the data represented here.

I have also been extremely fortunate to be surrounded by brilliant friends and colleagues who have shed their time, attention, and insight upon this work by reading drafts and offering comments. In alphabetical order, I want to thank Mildred Boveda, Chris Buttimer, Amy Cheung, Maleka Donaldson, Sarah Fine, Jenna Gravel, James Noonan, Stuti Shukla, Lynneth Solis, and Beth Swadener. They have all offered me encouragement, seen things in the data that I overlooked, helped interrogate my assumptions, pushed my thinking, and cared about me a person outside the work. I am also grateful to my childhood best friend Adriane Ackerman, the only person outside of the academy who willingly read hundreds of pages of my writing while providing feedback and support. Additionally, I would like to thank Shirley Fedorak, who helped edit a rough draft of this manuscript. This book would not be what it is today without all of their insights and encouragement.

I want to acknowledge Elsie Moore for believing in this work and leading me to the postdoctoral research position at Arizona State University’s School of Social Transformation that made space for me to complete this book. Her support and guidance has been invaluable. Within this position, I have also been fortunate to be advised by Bryan Brayboy, who has generously shared his experience and expertise to help me navigate the waters of academia. And before I ever entered academia, I was fortunate to have many wonderful teachers through elementary and secondary school, college and beyond who modeled meaningful teacher-student relationships. Some of these educators–including April Chambers, John Palmer, Rae Jeane Williams, and Samuel Joo–fostered connections with me that changed my life.

I am fortunate to have good friends who provided moral support, camaraderie, advice, and even child care. Cynthia Pepper has been there every step of the way, helped with my children, and listened attentively to my challenges. Rachel Blaine, who plowed this path before me, helped guide me through this academic and parenting journey. Ashli Jones let me crash on her couch for weeks during my initial data collection experiences in Los Angeles and was always there to listen and empathize. My fellow working moms—including Leslie Armstrong, Sheena Chiang, Pearl Esau, Whitney Leinin, Jennifer Stein, and Sabrina Villagran—provided me needed moral support on this journey of writing while parenting. And to those who went through the doctoral journey alongside me, including my fellow Harvard Educational Review editors and cohort mates: thank you for being there, for listening and understanding, for showing me that I was never alone. My friends have been like family.

And then, of course, there is my wonderful family, who has supported me throughout this process. I am so grateful for my mom, Marissa Theisen. Although she battled pancreatic cancer for two years, she continued to ask about my research, listened to my forming theories, turned me on to Martin Buber, and made it across the country with cancer in her very bones to watch me walk across the stage to collect the doctoral degree for the research that informs this book. She passed away in September 2018, and though it has been hard to move forward without her, she never let anything inhibit her passion for knowledge and I know she would be proud that I have persisted with this work. I also want to thank my dad, Chuck Theisen, who has always believed in me, encouraged my academic trajectory, and cared for my personal well-being. Without his support over the years, I would not have been able to pursue learning the way that I have. My stepmom, Anita Theisen, has also helped support my growth as a person and offered a great deal of moral support as I navigated the worlds of motherhood and professional employment. I appreciate my brothers, Nick Theisen and Alexander Theisen, for their enthusiasm and love. I am also lucky to have my parents-in-law, Eva and Chuck, who have provided moral support, generous childcare when they visit, and understanding. I also want to thank my East Coast family—Pat Bicchieri, Erica and John Boudreau, Kelly Brooks, Judy and Jack Davidson, Jim Davidson, Lisa Davidson, Jill Mirman, Sheila Ouellette, Brian and Courtney Ouellette, and Diane Roche—for being there for me while I conducted this study, for nurturing my heart with food and song, for helping me stay connected to my mom, and for reminding me that I am never alone. And to my extended family in Phoenix—Lisa and Karl Knickmeyer, and Cathy Theisen and Denise DiLallo—for helping sustain me with good company and food.

Thank you to my longtime love, Nils Homer. Over the course of nearly 17 years of partnership, Nils has encouraged, supported, and endured this journey alongside me. In college, when I was a teacher, and throughout this academic journey, he has always seen me for the best version of myself, pushing me to do and be more. He has also been a loving father to our two girls, enabling me time and space to get this done while parenting very young kids. Above all, I could not have done this without him. My daughters are my most profound inspiration. I want them to be proud of their mama. And they also inspire me to imagine a better world with better relationships in and out of the classroom. And before my girls came along, my students in Los Angeles set the stage for this work by showing me the power of teacher–student relationships; they continue to inspire me.

During the 5-year journey of researching and writing this book, all the people named above have encountered their own challenges and transitions, as is part of the human condition. My knowledge of this makes their support all the more meaningful, as they made time to ensure I did not feel alone in my own challenges. No one can do something like this alone; it truly takes a village. I feel so lucky for “the village” that has led me to this point and now buoys me forward. As I have researched and experienced, human connection truly is a powerful force for good.

Learning to Connect

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