When to show the way, when to lead the way and when to step away: exploring the roles and identities of teacher educators in post-compulsory education

The authors are teacher educators working within a university/college collaboration supporting new and existing and staff within post-compulsory education (PCE) to achieve qualified status. The authors have complementary roles; one being the direct support for a cohort of trainees, the other overseeing the programme as a whole. Both of these roles have a single overarching aim, which is to prepare new teachers for their professional roles within PCE. With more than 60 years’ experience between them, the authors are well placed to reflect on the ways in which PCE teachers, and PCE teacher educators take part in the process of teacher education and how this experience informs their professional identities.