ERIC Number: EJ881824
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4871
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
"But What Can I Do?": Three Necessary Tensions in Teaching Teachers about Race
Pollock, Mica; Deckman, Sherry; Mira, Meredith; Shalaby, Carla
Journal of Teacher Education, v61 n3 p211-224 2010
A core question of teacher education--"What can I do?"--plagues courses on race in particular ways. Teachers struggle for "concrete" applications of "theoretical" ideas about race, question the potential for "everyday" activity to dismantle inequality "structures," and wrestle with the need for both professional and personal development on racial issues. In this article, we discuss how these three core tensions surfaced in one race-oriented teacher education course. We demonstrate that the teachers who seemed most invigorated and who expressed feelings of efficacy in serving students of color were those who pledged to continue ongoing inquiry into both sides of each tension. We propose that these three tensions require explicit attention in teacher professional development. Indeed, we suggest that to create inquisitive and efficacious teachers, teacher educators can encourage teachers to keep all three tensions in play for the duration of their careers.
Descriptors: Racial Attitudes, Teacher Education, Teacher Educators, Education Courses, Race, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Social Differences, Professional Development, Theory Practice Relationship, Individual Development, Teaching Methods
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A