The Imperative of Care: ESL (English as a Second Language) Teacher Negotiations Toward Advocacy and Equity

• In Event: Teacher Advocacy and Social Justice With English Language Learners

Abstract

This paper complicates established notions of effective ESL instruction and teacher practice through the development of a conceptual approach that fuses the sometimes dichotomous approaches of critical pedagogy and care theory. Teaching ELL students, a group predisposed to marginalization, demands a critical pedagogy, yet also keen attention to student’s personal needs, and the building of relationships. Moreover, teachers must simultaneously negotiate these progressive concerns with often-contrary policy mandates. We use a case study of six ESL teachers to examine how an ethic of care becomes an integral part of teacher’s critical belief systems, and argue that this dual perspective has implications for teachers’ efficacy, as well as ELL students’ prospects for participation and agency in schools.

Authors

• Michael C. Dominguez, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Michael F. Suarez, University of Colorado - Boulder