"When You Know Better, DO Better": Racial Literacies and Teacher (Un)Learning

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

To advance justice within education and society, students—and teachers—need to develop deep, critical understandings of the complex, racialized influences on identity, access, and (in)equity. Unfortunately, history education has traditionally restricted the cultivation of “racial literacies” by/with teachers, and scholarship within the field has been criticized for its lack of specificity and practicality. This symposium explores scholarship related to curricular deficiencies, teacher demographics and resistance, and inadequate teacher education and professional development, and offers practical implications and recommendations for scholars, curriculum developers, teacher educators, and practicing teachers. In particular, this session will strive to support attendees in furthering their understandings of racial literacies within history education and committing to change to advance racial literacies within their unique contexts.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Teaching History

Chair

• Terrie Epstein, Hunter College - CUNY

Papers

• Research: What Do Teachers Know? - Christine Rogers Stanton, Montana State University

• Theory: How Do Teachers UNlearn What They Know? - Christopher C. Martell, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Practice: How Can We Do Better? - Tiffany Mitchell Patterson, District of Columbia Public Schools

Discussant

• LaGarrett Jarriel King, University of Missouri - Columbia