On Being a (Progressive) (White) Teacher

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Disrupting Privilege in Social Justice Education: Evaluating Teacher and Research Positionality

Abstract

By reflecting on their professional histories, two teachers unpack two sources of tension in their work: 1) The challenges of teaching from a stance of authentic inquiry despite pushes for standardization, and 2) Being white while teaching an African-American student body. Are we agents for change, or are we unwittingly complicit in eroding meaningful, free, and equitable education? How has this complicity shaped our ideas about pedagogy, privilege, and power? Drawing upon experiences from over a decade in the schools and communities of Philadelphia, we honestly assess ourselves as educators to reconcile our pasts and reclaim our futures.

Authors

• Stacey Carlough, Freire Charter School

• Jason Falconio, Freire Charter School