Sustaining Teacher Candidates with Disabilities: A Call to Action Across All Teacher Preparation Programs

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Honoring Disability As Identity: Teaching and Teacher Education for Inclusion

Abstract

Designed for teacher education faculty, researchers, administrators, and teacher candidates, this session uses disability critical studies (DisCrit) to analyze the role of teacher education in the preparation of teachers with disabilities. Research on these educators reveals a strong social justice orientation and equity-focused professional identity, a commitment to educating all students, those with and without disabilities, and supporting students with disabilities in the discoveries of their assets (CEC, 2016; Moore et al., 2020). The author will share how educator preparation programs can draw on the strengths of these candidates, providing reflexive questions and practical ideas for educator preparation programs and individuals (i.e., faculty, teacher candidates) to foster cultural competence about race and disability and support our teacher candidates with disabilities.

Author

• Jolan Smith, California State University - Long Beach