The creative dimension of the teaching activity: elements for the formation of literacy teachers

Abstract

This article aims to bring forward the creative dimension of the teaching knowledges mobilized by a literacy teacher, and is based on the concept of teaching knowledges as developed in the cultural-historical theory. The study was conducted in a public school of the State of Rondônia under an ethnographic approach. The work analyzes two episodes extracted from the school everyday life in order to exemplify how the teaching knowledges are changed and re-created when facing the challenges presented by the pedagogical practice. The results help to understand that the day-to-day teaching practice cannot be described simply as the reproduction of models or proposals used by other professionals. On the contrary, when teacher and class meet there is always an element of originality that demands the creation of forms of intervention specific for that group, under the conditions of that context. Following the work of the teacher during the period of the research made it possible to understand that there are countless possibilities of conduction of the pedagogical work, and that the reasons behind the teachers' choices are grounded in knowledges constructed throughout their experiences of formation and professional activity. It is concluded, therefore, that the pedagogical practices must be known and studied in order to be understood, more than judged, having in mind the contribution of these studies to teacher education.