Final ruminations on the 'unseen half'

Our final point here is perhaps our most important. Incorporating sociological theories into reflective and reflexive teaching practices can preserve the core social justice perspective that we hope most pre-service teachers hold dear as they enter the profession. It can be challenging for new educators to remain aware of the theoretical influences they were exposed to during their teacher education, particularly when such material seems to go against prevailing conditions in the classroom (Waghorn & Stevens, 1996). There exists a strong pull for beginning teachers, particularly those in practicum teaching situations involving intensive observation, to set aside their own ideas about teaching approaches informed by theory, suspend their own judgement and adopt ‘less desirable ways of teaching’, evidencing what has been described by Tabachnick and Zeichner as a ‘washout effect’ (Tabachnick and Zeichner, 1984, as cited in Waghorn & Stevens, 1996, p. 171). We propose that his steady erosion of educators’ beliefs, most probably inclusive of things like a love of students, a respect for diversity and an altruistic desire to change the world, can be protected through a steady inoculation of sociological theory. Continually dipping into the literature and bringing such writings to bear on teaching practice reminds teachers of the ‘unseen’ and inspires their continuous efforts to shine their lights, making the ‘unseen’ seen.