Things Are Not as They Appear: The Early Experiences of an African American K–12 Science Teacher

• In Event: Our Truths: Interrogating Black Male Teaching and Teacher Education Experiences for Consequential Changes

Abstract

Students who return to the K-12 environment as teacher of record soon exchange their preconceived notions of education with, in some cases, disheartening realities and unfortunate truths about the system that built their own experience (Gavish & Friedman, 2010; Nahal, 2010). Education has been known to be one of the careers that eats its own young, meaning that first-year teachers are often thrown into teaching situations where they are illequipped and unprepared (Anhorn, 2008; Moran, 1990). Science teachers are facing the above concerns while trying to master content specific pedagogy. While these practices aren’t exclusive to any particular demographic, African American (AA) K-12 teachers have to contend with the struggles inherent to the black experience in tandem with the trials of navigating this familiar yet foriegn terrain. As an alternatively certified AA K-12 science educator, I am familiar with being new to the teaching profession, learning content specific pedagogy, and dealing with the residuals of the AA male experience. This paper will explore my experience navigating the teaching profession, learning how to effectively teach science content, and dealing with the pressures and expectations that come with being an AA male in America.

Ladson-Billings and Tate (1995) posit that race is a factor that is undertheorised in education, and that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an “analytic tool for understanding school inequity” (p. 48). Likewise, Delgado and Stefancic (2017) assert CRT’s tendency to do more than point out inequities, but to act as an agent of change for historically marginallized groups. I apply CRT as a way to contextualize the story of a new AA male science teacher to better understand the effect of race and racism on my K-12 experience.

Analytical autoethnographic method requires the author to participate fully in the research, visible in the publication as a participant, and committed to analytical research to improve theoretical understandings of societal concepts (Anderson, 2006). I will be using this method to offer a re-telling of my early experiences as an educator.

This paper reports my personal experiences as an AA male science teacher at a Title 1, public high school in a Southern Central United States suburb. Emphasis will be placed on systemic challenges encountered from students, parents, administration. Three perspectives are used to give reference to my experience: being a first-year teacher, science educator, and an AA male as a professional.

Most new teachers have struggles that must be overcome if career longevity is desired in education. However, compounded with the challenges of having to teach science content, and the challenges of being an AA male in America make a valid argument as to why AA male science teachers are scarce and don’t persist in K-12 education.

Education research is rich with examples of first-year teachers struggling to navigate education as a career. However, there is little research targeting the intersectionality of being an AA male, first-year teacher, and a science educator. This paper will present the perspective of a subgroup of teachers who are needed in the educational workforce.

Author

• Chaz Stigers, Texas A&M University
  Presenting Author