Disrupting Whiteness as White Teacher Educators: Embracing Discomfort in the Name of Growth

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Education and Educators (Table 9)

Abstract

As two white teacher educators, we responded to the call of critical scholars to dismantle our whiteness in order to disrupt white supremacy. We conducted a collaborative autoethnography to reflect on our experiences of teaching an equity pedagogy course in a teacher preparation program. We found that as white people working with preservice teachers, we had both barriers and opportunities when teaching about race and racism. We also noted that our growth as white critical teacher educators took conscious effort and time, and that growing critically as people did not mean that growth would automatically transfer to our teaching. Moving forward, we noted the importance of continuously engaging in critical, collaborative reflection to untangle ourselves from whiteness.

Authors

• Amy Christensen-McLean, University of Florida

• Michael A. Scofield, University of Florida