This dissertation explored how identities of students and a teacher in a first grade classroom were co-constructed through various literacy practices and within a third space. Drawing on research that documented the strong connection between literacy and identity and its socio-cultural connections, this qualitative study incorporates ethnographic means to examine the multiple layers that exists as the teacher's professional identities and the students' identities (both academic and personal) jointly interacted. The findings suggest that pedagogical practices can often be impacted by institutional and curricula mandates in a way that creates literacy practices that may create academic labels for pupils. However, over a school year, as teachers and students interact with these literacy practices they behave in ways that lead to the co-construction of identities. This, too, takes place in a third space. In this third space, students often enact layers of their personal and academic identities more freely as it is not as constrained as traditional literacy practices. However, within this third space, varying levels of co-construction also occur. It is important to the field of literacy studies to examine how classrooms operate as culturally responsive spaces where the identities of the members in a classroom, including the teacher, compete with each other in a manner that creates tensions with (Kabuto, 2011) and promotes shifting views of identity and literacy. I believe that this will be a valuable pedagogical tool to understand the plurality that exists as identities (Arendt, 1978) are co-constructed through various literacy practices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]