Pedagogical Sensemaking and Journey Mapping

Activity name 

Materials

Quantity

JM Protocol

JM Protocol printout (this document)

1

Protocol Flow

Protocol Flow Slide deck (Review before interview)

1

Recording 

Audio Recorder

1

Video Recorder (or mobile phone)

1

Printouts (Important)

Journey Mapping Template (Physically Printed 5 ft x 3 ft flex)

1

Observation template

1

General materials 

Sticky Notes – 4 different color packs 

1 pack per color 

Sticky Notes – Small Size – 2 colors 

2 packs 

Dot stickers 2 colors (if available) or
Circular sticker cutouts (2 colors)

12 pieces of each color  

Color Sign-pens packs 

1 pack 

Steps/Timing

Details

Introduction – 

2/2 min

• Introduce the participant to new members and their roles 
  • Sticky-Note Writer 
  • Observer/Note-Taker
• Remind participants that we will be recording audio and video for research purposes

Journey Map Framing – 3/5 min

• Read aloud “We are interested in understanding your journey as part of the teaching community (TeaCoP) over the past four years. We invite you to create a journey map that represents (1) key moments, (2) experiences, (3) people, and (4) shifts in your thinking or practice related to play, making, engineering, storytelling, and learning. There is no ‘right’ way to draw your map. This is just a tool to help you tell your story.”

Map Structure – 5/10 min

• Horizontal timeline: Prior, Phases I to V, and Current, Future 
  • Describe the 5 phases of PLC design
  • Describe the space preceding the phases as Prior experiences and succeeding the phases as Current work, and Future work 
• Vertical layout  
  • Describe the baseline (Neutral) and the two ends for Emotion Map 
  • Describe the different lanes and how the sticky-note writer will fill the lanes with annotations or summaries of the teacher’s experiences 

1. Prior experiences 

– 5/15 min

• “Let’s start with where your journey with this community began. What was happening in your teaching before that time?” (Prior Experiences)
  • “What activities were you doing with your students?” 
  • “What teacher training or professional development opportunities did you participate in?” 

Emotion Map 

2. Start: 

– 5/20 min

• “What were your initial emotions?”
• “If you were to choose an emotion from this list, which one would you choose to capture those initial emotions?” (Curious, Excited, Hopeful, Uncertain, Overwhelmed, Anxious, Confused, Confident)
• “Where would you place that emotion in the Emotion map?”

3. Activities: 

– 10/30 min

• List memorable/inspiring/challenging experiences or activities from each phase
• Sticky-Note-Writer
  • Use same color sticky note for this lane
  • Place positive experiences top and negative experiences bottom in the lane  

4. Tools & Materials: 

– 5/35 min

• List memorable/inspiring/challenging materials or tools from each phase
• Sticky-Note-Writer
  • Use a different color sticky notes from the previous lane but use same color sticky note for this lane
  • Place positive experiences top and negative experiences bottom in the lane  

Emotion Map: 

5. Learner/ Participant ◯

– 15/50 min

• “Let’s first begin to map our journeys as learners in the community.” 
• “What were the highs or lows, successes or struggles?”
• “Reflecting on each of the phases, what were your highest highs?”
• “What were your lowest lows?”
• Note: As the dots are placed, ask the participant to describe what was going on in those moments in more detail. Use phrases like “Let’s go back and think about…” and “Can you tell me a little about that?”
• Keep in mind that the participant can also place more than one dot in a location if, for example, there is both a high for one reason and a low for a different reason!

Emotion Map: 

6. Connect the dots 

– 10/60 min

• Facilitator: “Let’s connect the dots with a continuous line to make your journey visually salient, showing how events, peoples, and meaningful moments link together over time.”

Interview Questions: 

• “Can you walk me through your journey map and tell the story it represents?”
• “Look back at your journey map. Tell me about the stories behind these dots” (Mercier, 2024, p. 252).
  • Tell me about why this dot is here. Tell me the story of this part.
  • What was happening here? What led you to feel this way? 
  • What about the spaces in between? Tell me about those.

7. Pedagogical Evolution  

– 10/70 min

Journey Mapping Prompts  

• Say “Sometimes it’s easier to talk about change using “I used to think___ now I think___.” Feel free to use that language anywhere on your map.”
• Use a Triangle(△) to indicate moments of change or shift
• “Identify key moments when your teaching practices related to play, making, engineering, or storytelling began to change.”
  • Can you think of a specific activity that stands out?
  • Do you remember a workshop, or community interaction that influenced how you taught?
  • What were you doing before this moment, and what did you do 

differently afterward?

• Did a conversation or feedback from someone influence your thinking?

• “Show moments when your understanding of learning of how students learn shifted.”
  • Was there a particular student reaction or moment that made you notice something felt different?
  • Did the change affect how you planned lessons, facilitated activities, or assessed learning?
• “When did you feel most confident trying a new pedagogical approach or a new practice?”
• “When did you feel most uncomfortable?”
• “Was there any hesitation or resistance you experienced?”
• Note: Use a new color dot or marker or a new symbol to denote change

Interview Questions: Pedagogical evolution  

• “Looking at your map, where do you see the biggest shifts in your teaching practice?”
• “How did your ideas about play, making, engineering, storytelling, or learning evolve over time?”

8. Tensions or Dilemmas – 

– 10/80 min

• Use a Double Arrow (↕) to indicate tensions or dilemmas 

Interview Questions: Tensions or Dilemmas  

• “I noticed this point on your map. Can you tell me what was happening there?”
• “Were there moments when the approach felt challenging or misaligned with your context?”
• “Can you point to a time when two things you cared about felt in conflict?”
• “When did you feel pulled between covering content and allowing time for play or making?”
• “Were there times you wanted to try something new but felt constrained by time, curriculum, or assessment?”

9. People 

 – 10/90 min

Journey Mapping Prompts  

• “Add people, groups, or interactions that played an important role in your journey.”
• “Show moments when the community felt especially supportive or when it felt difficult to sustain.”
• “Add anything that helped you continue this work over multiple years.”
• Note: Use a new color dot or marker or a new symbol to denote people 

Interview Questions: Community 

• “How did your role in the community change over time?”
• “What made you feel connected to the community at different points?”
• “Did being a part of the community add to your workload or replace something you used to do earlier?”
• “How did relationships within the community (colleagues, facilitators, etc.) as well as outside the community (Head Teacher, school co-ordinator, etc.) support your learning?”

10. What Stayed & Faded 

– 10/100 min

Journey Mapping Prompts  

• “What stayed?” 
  • What practices are still in your classroom today?
  • What habits or rituals never went away?
• “What faded?”
  • What stopped because of time, pressures, exams, or energy?
  • What worked but demanded too much from you?

Interview Questions: Sustainability  

• “What helped you sustain this work beyond the planned workshops?”
• “What made it possible to continue this work despite challenges?”
• “Which aspects of the community became part of your regular teaching practice?”
• “What structures or practices helped keep the community alive over multiple years?” 

11. Future
Reimagining Teacher Learning in Nepal: Playful Pedagogies, Professional Learning Communities, Cultural Relations, and Pedagogical Sensemaking- 10/110 min

• “Extend your map into the future. Where do you see yourself and this community going?”
• “What do you hope continues or evolves?”
• “How do you want to stay connected to this community in the future?”
• “What changes would you like to see in your school or system?”

Reflection 

-10/120 mins

• “When you look at your entire journey, what stands out to you most?”
• “How does this map represent who you are now as a teacher?”
• “What advice would you give a new community member about pedagogical practices that create strong student impact without overwhelming teachers?”
• “Do you have any suggestions for our research team to refine the JM experience for other participants?”