“I Wouldn’t Have Said it That Way”: Mediating professional editorial comments in a secondary school science classroom

This article presents an analysis of a videotaped lecture from a secondary school science classroom. The students in this class had drafted science journalism articles and submitted them for professional editorial review and possible publication in a science newsmagazine for a teenage audience. Before allowing her students to see the editorial feedback, the teacher prepared a lecture along with a handout; she appeared to be trying to mediate the editor's comments. Using discourse analysis, this article examines the teacher's varied roles in this class period as she worked to create a hybrid space, a space that was not a typical science classroom but was also not a professional newsroom. The article concludes that this teacher's repositioning was necessary in order for her to open her classroom to more authentic learning opportunities for her students.

► A discourse analysis of a science teacher's lecture reveals various roles she plays. ► Students wrote science news articles and received professional feedback. ► The presence of a professional editor forced the teacher out of the “expert” role. ► The authentic writing assignment transformed the teacher and the classroom.