“Needing to Be Seen for Who I Am”: A Phenomenological Study of Black Student Teachers

• In Event: Rupture, Repair, and (Re)humanizing With/for Black Women Teachers and Teachers of Color

Abstract

Black teachers have a tremendous positive impact on Black students, due to higher standards and stronger cultural ties. However, Black teachers comprise only a small portion of the teacher workforce, and Black teachers and Black student teachers face racial stress fatigue. Black student teachers are subjected to racialized encounters which exacerbate the complexities of student teaching. Teacher preparation programs can increase the Black teacher population by better supporting Black teacher candidates during student teaching. This hermeneutic phenomenological study seeks to do so by exploring the lived experiences of Black student teachers within a broader ecological system. Based on a focus group and individual interviews, findings share Black student teachers’ mindsets, actions, and experiences within student teaching.

Authors

• Jeanine Pocoski, Southern Connecticut State University

• Nicole Madu, Southern Connecticut State University

• Laura Bower-Phipps, Southern Connecticut State University