ABSTRACT
Those who promote and practise sustainable living in both their daily lives and in their teaching have often been characterised for their unique love for the environment. However, in some educational settings, Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) has been viewed from a whole-school approach rather than something that only individual and willing teachers, who resonate strongly with these ideas, might adopt. The literature suggests that a whole-school approach, which employs inquiry-based and action learning and has the needed support from leadership, can have a significant impact on ESE uptake at the classroom level. This chapter re-narrates the stories of two early career teachers who describe their experiences of being a teacher in a school whose school leadership supports ESE in their schools. The three-dimensional analysis interrogates a linear approach to ESE implementation, explores the need for a socially just school ethos and identifies contexts and spaces that allow for big ideas and in-depth inquiry of ESE across the curriculum. This chapter argues that while the support of leadership within educational settings is a starting point, early career teachers must also continue to negotiate the curriculum in a way to make ESE meaningful in their classrooms.
