Navigating the Terrain of Third Space: Tensions with/in Relationships in School-University Partnerships

Using theoretical conceptions of third space and hybrid teacher education, we engaged in a collaborative self-study of our practices as university-based teacher educators working in student teaching partnership settings. We sought to understand the ways in which the hybrid teacher educator fosters and mediates relationships to work towards a collective third space. In this article, we describe the nature of relationships in our work, the tensions wrought by complexities of these relationships, and ways we negotiated tensions in order to foster relationships that productively mediated processes of teacher education. In addition, we propose a framework for moving beyond traditional notions of oppositional triadic relationships of student teacher, mentor teacher, and supervisor in recognition of complex social interactions in the third space.