The Use of an Educational Documentary in Urban Teacher Education: A Case Study of Beyond the Bricks

• In Event: Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Initiatives in Preparing Beginning Teachers in Diverse Settings

Abstract

This presentation draws from a qualitative case study of 22 teachers of African American males who participated in a screening event of the documentary Beyond the Bricks as part of a community engagement project in three cities: New Orleans, New York, and Oakland, CA. Through the lenses of critical race theory and the Matrix Achievement Paradigm typology, this paper highlights three major themes connected to teaching Black male students: 1) Recognizing and removing the Blind Spot, 2) Resisting the normalization of failure, and 3) The need for (practicing) culturally responsive educators.

Author

• Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Teachers College, Columbia University