"Never Take Sides": Preservice Teachers' Understandings of Teachers' Role in Supporting LGBTQ Students

• In Event: 81.033 - MTCC Roundtable Session 38
  In Roundtable Session: 81.033-12 - Queering Educational Practice: Building Capacity for LGBTQ-Affirming Classrooms

Abstract

This paper explores how pre-service teachers think about the work of teaching and the teacher’s role in supporting gender and sexual equality in schools. It is based on qualitative research conducted over four semesters in an Introduction to Education course. It was inspired by conversations with students wherein many expressed deep passion for addressing gender and sexual inequality in schools, while many others expressed confusion, resistance, and indifference to these issues. These students questioned their ability as teachers to address inequality with their students, and the appropriateness of doing so. Through this project, I explored how pre-service teachers understand the work of teaching and how their understandings might support or challenge social justice work in schools.

Author

• Kathleen Elliott, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater