We Were Taught Why We Matter”: Exploring an HBCU-Based Alternative Teacher Residency Program

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Rooted and Resilient: Innovative Approaches to Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Mentoring

Abstract

This ethnographic case study examines how a Historically Black College and University (HBCU)-based teacher residency program prepares novice Black educators for high-need school contexts. Centering the voices of six first-year teachers enrolled in a teacher residency program housed at a Historically Black College & University, this study explores how culturally grounded preparation, sustained mentorship, and counter-deficit framing shape teacher identity, resilience, and justice-centered practice. Findings highlight how HBCUs serve as pedagogical counterspaces where Black educators are not only retained but empowered as transformative leaders. This study contributes to the literature by offering a vision for teacher preparation that critiques technocratic, fast-track models and affirms the role of HBCUs in reimagining the teacher pipeline.

Authors

• Larkin Page, Xavier University of Louisiana

• Jimmy Caldwell, Xavier University of Louisiana