Disrupting Deficit Thinking: Black Teachers Reclaim Culturally Responsive Practice

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:45 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Healing and Honoring: Black Teachers' Practices Across Time

Abstract

Deficit thinking that Black students experience stems from the historical and ongoing racism in the US. As Black teachers, we can hold deficit perspectives. Equity-based professional learning shifted my beliefs, prompting me to explore the experiences of 5 Black teachers. The research questions: In what ways can culturally responsive professional learning influence Black teachers’ beliefs and perspectives about their Black students? In what ways can culturally responsive professional learning influence Black teachers? Four themes emerged: Joyous and Jaded Moments of a Book Study, Impediments of an Inequitable System, the Cultural Power of Black Teachers, and Clouds of Joy: Teachers’ Beliefs About Black Students. I offer recommendations for teacher preparation programs, in-service professional learning, and future research.

Author

• Mia Rollack, Eastern Michigan University