Perceptions and Recommendations From the Field: Reimagining Support for Novice African American Teachers

• In Event: Recruiting, Retaining, and Supporting Black Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to document novice African American teachers experiences in order to ascertain the way in which racial composition of the workplace affected interactions with non-minority institutional members in schools with a skewed African American teacher population. This enabled researchers to understand the role racial congruence played in the messages communicated to and the responses from said teachers in order to gain a better understanding of the organizational dynamics of performance pressure. This study indicated that teachers of color faced discrimination, stereotyping, increased workload and invisible labor. Additionally, this study sought out recommendations by novice African American teachers for supporting the unique challenges they faced.

Author

• Erikca DeAnn Brown, Epoch Education