ABSTRACT
Educational discourses position schools as ameliorative institutions. Teaching becomes a “noble calling,” where determination and caring mix to create better classrooms, better children, and thus a better society. Preservice teachers embrace this view, positioning themselves as advocates of change, of hope, and of children. Yet most students’ previous school experiences are all too often bereft of such sentiments or attention; boredom and lack of meaning permeate much of students’ time (National Research Council [NRC], 2003). “That's just the way things are” becomes a standard response.
