The Teacher-Learner Community: A Signature Pedagogy Addressing Teachers’ Role as Educators and Advocates

• In Event: Strategies to Support Social Justice Teaching

Abstract

There is much debate about how to train teachers to teach English Learners (ELs) effectively. Grounded in the construct of community of practice, the authors discuss the Teacher-Learner Community (TLC) whose goal is to support the development of pre-service teachers’ understanding of culture, community and background in learning, and show its effectiveness in changing pre-service teachers’ beliefs and understanding of ELs. They argue that this conceptual model for organizing learning, thought, and action in teacher education can help bridge the gap between what is taught in colleges of education and what is implemented in schools for ELs and how teachers can be better prepared to carry out their roles as educators and advocates.

Authors

• Margarita Jimenez-Silva, Arizona State University

• Kate Olson