Too Afraid to Teach: Fear and the Teaching Lives of Preservice Teachers Supporting Young Homeless Children

• In Event: Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Overcoming Fear, Fostering Understanding: Preservice Teacher Identity

Abstract

In this qualitative study of pre-service teachers’ (PST) perceptions and experiences of teaching homeless children (HC), we asked what emotions do PSTs connect in their work with HSs? Through thematic and grounded analysis of semi-structured interviews of 20 PSTs, we find that fear emerged as central in PSTs description of the emotional work of teaching HCs. Here, we explore the fears articulated by PSTs and how they shape their understandings of their work. By drawing attention to how unrecognized and uncontested fears may influence PSTs’ approach to relationships, pedagogy, and professional learning, this study expands our understanding of the emotional landscapes PSTs navigate and offers insights for teacher education programs to promote relational connection with children coping with challenging lives.

Authors

• Travis S. Wright, University of WIsconsin- Madison

• Kathryn Boonstra, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Elizabeth E. Blair, University of Wisconsin - Madison