Confronting Privilege, Bias, and Assumptions: Finding a Strengths Approach as Early Childhood Teacher Educators

• In Event: Trauma, Chaos, Resistance

Abstract

Teacher educators consider pre-service teacher reflections on diversity from an ‘Experiential Learning’ project in Prek-K classrooms. Strengths and shifting biases were documented through pre-service teachers’ journaling that also provoked conversations, critiques, and changes to practice. In this work we acknowledge our own privilege while taking action for our courses to more critically address and trouble normative views of children and teaching in ECE. We question deficit thinking towards our education students and accept educational responsibility for pedagogy that acknowledges children, and our pre-service teachers, while working with issues of social justice in ECE. We seek to use a strengths approach to our pedagogy and consider insights from pre-service teachers to actively support curriculum that affirms diverse and marginalized children.

Authors

• Corinna Peterken, Brigham Young University

• Kendra Hall-Kenyon, Brigham Young University

• Beth Cutrer, Brigham Young University