The authors trace their work with mentor teachers in a southwestern U.S. professional development school. These mentors met to tell, write, share, and analyze stories of their experiences as mentors to preservice teachers. As the authors worked with several groups of teachers, they began to analyze the processes involved in the sessions. An outcome of the authors’ discussions was the idea of transactional inquiry, a method grounded in narrative inquiry, transactional literacy theory, and literary analysis. Transactional inquiry provides a vehicle for teachers to reflect on their own and others’ professional development, identify lessons from their teaching, and connect with other teachers through the inquiry process. This article describes the evolution of transactional inquiry as well as the mentors’ stories and sharing.
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