Critically Conscious Early and Elementary Educators: An Abolitionist Approach to Diversity Programming in Teacher Preparation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Methodological Conversations: Critical Consciouness, Critcal Friendships, and Content Area Considerations (Table 9)

Abstract

How might teacher preparation re-culture in order to supply educational settings with teachers who work towards liberation from racism and other systems of oppression? Abolitionist education is one framework for doing so. I share my experiences in re-designing and facilitating a diversity course in an early childhood education teacher preparation program within this framework. I designed the course using Muhammad’s culturally and historically responsive learning model and with plática methodology. Critical self-study methods contextualized and reflexively situated the embodied experiences and liberatory possibilities of this re-design. Findings include (1) building critical community, (2) storying ourselves into abolition, (3) generative conflict, (4) emergent curriculum, (5) practical applications, and (6) liberatory visioning. I posit reflexive ideas for moving towards abolitionist teacher preparation.

Author

• Alexia Buono, University of Vermont