Narratives of Two Black Student Teachers in Rural Appalachia

• In Event: Roundtable Session 22
  In Roundtable Session: What Does It Mean to “Care”? Experiences of Black Student Teachers, Black Students, and Black Teacher Mentors

Abstract

In order to gain a more complete understanding of Black students’ experiences in teacher education programs, it is important to critically examine their student teaching experiences. Critical race theory and narrative analysis are used to explore two Black preservice teachers’ student teaching experiences in a majority white rural Appalachian school. Data sources included semi-structured interviews; weekly reflective journal; and field notes from observations at the participants’ school placement site. The participants’ racial identities were salient during their very first day at their placements and continued to impact their student teaching experiences in three areas: (1) their relationships with their mentor teachers and school staff, (2) their relationships with their students, (3) and their pedagogical approaches to teaching.

Authors

• Lisa Harrison, Ohio University

• Jennifer Y. Chung, Drake University