A STEM Women of Color Affinity Space: Sustaining Social Justice Identity Development and Actionable Visions

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Eighteen
  In Roundtable Session: Transforming Systems of Race and Gender in Teaching and Teacher Education (Table 11)

Abstract

The importance of recruiting teachers of color (TOC) is well documented (Carver-Thomas, 2018; Villegas et al., 2008). Importantly, critical scholars point to the commoditization of TOCs that ignore their lived experiences and pedagogical training, both of which are critical elements for equitable teaching (Kohli, 2021). One approach for teacher preparation programs to support TOC is to engage teachers with moments of personal transformation wherein teachers imagine and engage in actionable steps towards creating more just classrooms (Rodriguez, 2004). We describe activities and tools that facilitated moments of transformation in an affinity space created for STEM women of color educators. We describe how reflective dialogue and identity affirming activities support the social justice identity development of women of color.

Authors

• Socorro Cambero, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Naehee Kwun, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Doron Zinger, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author