Centering Preservice Teachers of Color Through Culturally Relevant Critical Teacher Care

• In Event: The Struggles, Resistance, and Transformative Possibilities of Teachers of Color

Abstract

This paper examines the teacher diversity gap within a College of Education and adds to the literature on teacher licensure attainment for undergraduate Preservice Teachers of Color (PTOC). The theoretical framework Culturally Relevant Critical Teacher Care (CRCTC) is used to focus on how PTOC experience CRCTC within coursework. Interviews with PTOC (n=8) and survey data from undergraduate preservice teachers (PTs) of all races within the COE (n=195) revealed that lack of relationality and lack of political clarity prevent teacher educators from meeting the needs of undergraduate PTOC, and that PTOC perceive less political clarity and experience lower expectations from teacher educators than do white PTs in the same context.

Authors

• Tara J. Plachowski, Embracing Equity

• Preston Blakely, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Elsa Lopez, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• A'Shia Hunt

• Iesha Jackson, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Iman Fagan, University of Nevada - Las Vegas