Preachin’ to the Unconverted: Building Community Between Critical Teacher Educators of Color and Their Predominately White Preservice Candidates

Session Submission Type: Symposium

Abstract

Research demonstrates that teacher quality for urban students must be informed by a critical perspective and a socially and racially just agenda (Sleeter, 2001). This task is particularly difficult in Predominately White Institutions where the majority of preservice teachers have had few prior experiences with racially/ethnically diverse populations (Picower, 2007/2009). While previous research has focused on white teacher educators’ experience in this process, this symposium examines the experiences of teacher educators of color. Our unique position has provided both challenges and affordances in this role. Each panelist will describe this process through critical pedagogical strategies that utilize life histories, “Theatre of the Oppressed” (Boal, 1979), metacognitive “race thinking” of class procedures and structures, and critical race reflections.

Sub Unit

• Division K - Teaching and Teacher Education / Section 5: Preservice Teacher Education Coursework: Practices to Improve Teacher Knowledge, Understanding, and Application of Subject Matter, Content, and Pedagogical Practices

Chair

• Adrienne D. Dixson, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

Papers

• Don’t Wanna Be a Playa, but a Spect-Actor: Utilizing Theatre of the Oppressed Within Teacher Education to Create Emancipatory Teachers - Shiv Raj Desai, Thomas More College

• Walking the Walk: Using Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Critical Pedagogy as a Model for Preservice Teachers - Clifford H. Lee, Saint Mary's College of California

• On the “Flip” Side: A Teacher Educator of Color Unveiling the Dangerous Minds of Teaching White Teacher Candidates - Cheryl E. Matias, University of Colorado - Denver

• Solidarity Not Charity: Decolonizing Teacher Education - Patrick Camangian, University of San Francisco

Discussant

• Tyrone C. Howard, University of California - Los Angeles