ERIC EJ1152451: A Commitment to Socially Just Teacher Preparation: Novice Teacher Educators' Reflections on Participation in a Community of Practice

2017·0.64 MB·English

by  ERIC

A commitment to socially just teacher preparation: Novice teacher
educators’ reflections on participation in a community of practice
Rachelle Curcio University of Florida
Stephanie Schroeder University of Florida
Through reflective narrative, we present our experiences in a Community of Practice (CoP)
committed to teacher preparation for social justice. First, we discuss the CoP’s origination and
then reflect upon how our participation informed our practice as novice teacher educators.
Specifically, we propose that novice teacher educators’ participation in a CoP may further cultivate
an inquiry stance and inform evolving identities as teacher educators for social
justice. Additionally, we posit the value of establishing CoPs as a collaborative think-space to
problematize practice for all teacher educators striving to bring a social justice stance to their work.

Al l teachers face challenges, yet for While teacher education has stressed a social
novice teachers in our nation’s most justice stance over the past two decades, a
diverse schools these challenges may need remains to reevaluate teacher
seem near impossible to overcome. education’s stance towards social justice and
Disparities across race, class, gender, its role in preparing teachers to effectively
language, and ability continue to grow in the respond to all students (Duncan-Andrade,
United States, even in (or perhaps because of) 2011; Grant & Agosto, 2008). If the goal is
an era of strict accountability (Dover, 2013). for teachers to approach diversity from a
Ultimately, the goal of education is to social justice perspective, then teacher
provide students opportunities to learn, educators should collectively work to
thereby enhancing their lifetime identify the contexts and practices that best
opportunities (Cochran-Smith, Shakman, prepare candidates to teach for social justice.
Jong, Terrell, Barnatt, & McQuillian, 2009). This paper shares the experiences of two
Unfortunately, many students in our nation novice teacher educators in their quest to
are not achieving success in school, academic identify those practices that prepare teacher
or otherwise. Many students have lost their candidates to teach for social justice.
hope, and are simply coping, not flourishing, Specifically, we reflect on how our
in our classrooms (Duncan-Andrade, 2011; participation in a Community of Practice
Grant & Gibson, 2011). In order to reverse (CoP) has supported our social justice stance
these trends, there is an urgent need to instill and evolving teacher educator identities.
a social justice stance in rising teachers to After sharing our reflections, we bring
better equip them to meet the needs of our together literature from three disparate bodies
diverse 21st century classrooms. of scholarship in teacher education to
Teacher preparation for social justice illuminate how the development of social
understands teaching as a “lifelong journey justice teaching practices can be both
of transformation” (Nieto, 2000, p. 184) that immersed in inquiry and developed
strives to challenge traditional ideologies in collaboratively as a means of ensuring lasting
order to eliminate educational inequalities. and meaningful change.
SRATE Journal Summer 2017/Volume 26(2) 9
Presently, we [the authors] are naturally, bringing together individuals
Curriculum and Instruction doctoral engaged in similar practices (Wenger, 2010).
candidates at a large Southeastern research As novice teacher educators, the CoP
university. Before beginning doctoral served as a space to collaboratively problem
studies, Author 1 was a veteran educator solve and develop collective capacity related
spending seventeen years in an urban Florida to teacher education for social justice.
school district. During this time, she served Ultimately, we embraced an overarching goal
as an elementary classroom teacher, reading of potentially cultivating teacher candidates’
coach, district resource teacher, and assistant social justice stance, while simultaneously
principal within diverse high-poverty K-5 developing the knowledge, skills, and
school settings. Author 2 has been an dispositions needed to teach within our
educator for seven years, three of which she nation’s diverse classroom contexts. The
spent teaching secondary social studies and collective nature of the group and our
English in Central Florida and Queens, New problem-solving focus defined the CoP, and
York. During her secondary teaching our “shared ways of engaging in doing things
experiences, Author 2 taught in a variety of together” (Wenger, 1998 as cited in Roberts,
school settings with students from a range of 2006, p. 625) aided in the facilitation of
economic, ethnic, and linguistic dialogue. Indeed, during our regular CoP
backgrounds. From these varying meetings we engaged in dialogue to develop
experiences in elementary and secondary our theoretical knowledge and troubleshoot
classrooms, both authors developed a passion personal attempts to apply theory to practice.
for teaching and learning in diverse, high- One exercise we completed as a CoP
poverty contexts. included personal goal setting to focus the
While we both possessed a passion work of our community. Our narratives
for enhancing the educational opportunities below reflect upon our original goals and
for marginalized student populations, we share how our CoP experiences informed our
realized upon entering our doctoral program instruction and helped us meet our
that we lacked theoretical knowledge to overarching objectives. Additionally, we
effectively articulate our passion. discuss our ongoing work as socially just
Consequently, during a doctoral critical teacher educators in hopes that our
pedagogy seminar focused on critical social experiences may inform the work of other
justice theory, we began to acquire essential novice teacher educators striving to teach for
knowledge that informed our developing social justice.
social justice stance. Based on shared
commitments, a CoP, consisting of four Author 1’s Reflection
doctoral students and the professor who
As a doctoral student focused on
facilitated the critical pedagogy course,
enhancing teacher preparation and clinical
evolved to support our continued
practice to meet the needs of 21st century
development as teacher educators committed
classrooms, part of my preparation included
to social justice. A CoP, defined by Lave and
serving as a supervisor in a pre-internship
Wenger (1991), is a “system of relationships
practicum experience. The initiation of our
between people, activities, and the world;
CoP occurred during my third semester of
developing with time, and in relation to
supervising/instructing pre-interns, a
other…overlapping communities” (p. 98).
semester in which I intended to intentionally
Like our CoP, such communities develop
shift my instructional practices to explicitly
support the cultivation of teacher candidates’
SRATE Journal Summer 2017/Volume 26(2) 10
critical reflective stance. My intended educator committed to social justice. I
instructional shift occurred after participating quickly learned that teacher education for
in the critical pedagogy seminar and social justice is not a solo endeavor, and our
engaging in a practitioner inquiry related to CoP represented a collective commitment for
enhancing candidates’ reflective practice. equity, action, and change. For years, I lacked
From these experiences, I discovered I was the language to communicate my objections
implicitly addressing social justice concepts, to inequities I witnessed in schools and
so I sought to deepen my understanding and thought I was alone with my passion.
practice related to cultivating a critical However, Wenger (1998) argues, one of the
reflective stance. Essentially, my goal was to defining features of a CoP is its ability to
instill an inquiry orientation that encouraged bring together individuals with a shared
pre-interns to not only critically reflect on “perspective on the world” (Roberts, 2006, p.
their classroom, but also the world around 625). Through our CoP I have gained
them in an effort to examine personal knowledge and insight but, more importantly,
experiences, beliefs, assumptions, and confidence to move forward with my goal of
question status quo. cultivating teacher candidates’ critical
Howard (2003) defined critical reflective stance to challenge educational
reflection as a tool for “incorporating issues inequities and level the educational playing
of equity and social justice into teaching, field for all children.
thinking, and practice” (p. 195). In particular, my collaboration in the
Additionally, critical reflection involves CoP contributed to explicit instructional
problematizing and examining how racial adjustments focused on cultivating an inquiry
and cultural contexts impact teaching and orientation and a critically reflective stance.
learning, and it strives to move individuals CoP dialogue focused on attaining our goals,
towards discovering solutions and taking not only enhanced the intentionality of my
action. Gay and Kirkland (2010) stated that seminar instruction and supervision
many teacher educator programs are void of interactions, but also provided connections to
authentic opportunities for teacher candidates resources and ideas. For example, within the
to engage in deep, critical reflection related seminar there was a required lesson planning
to teaching and learning; thus my goal was to assignment that was historically a rote task. I
explicitly support my students in a manner sought to adjust the assignment so teacher
that provided opportunities to engage in candidates could more critically view
critical reflective practice. While this classroom demographics to deepen
objective may have sounded simplistic knowledge of students, identify student
initially, it proved to challenge my strengths, and begin to form an asset-based
developing teacher educator identity and perspective. When sharing this goal in our
engendered discomfort and dissonance in the CoP, a peer reminded me of a visual that
integrated seminar. presented the differences between “deep
Participating in the CoP provided culture” and “surface culture,” commonly
space to dialogue and reflect on course referred to as ‘the cultural iceberg’ (Sensoy
content and pedagogical decisions, as well as & DiAngelo, 2013). The use of this visual
successes and failures I was experiencing in aided the candidates in more critically
the classroom. The ability to share reflecting upon their class demographics and
frustrations and potential roadblocks became enhanced lesson planning.
a source of support and knowledge to assist Additionally, academic literature
me in refining my practice as a teacher referred by my colleagues helped to extend
SRATE Journal Summer 2017/Volume 26(2) 11
my theoretical and pedagogical knowledge. the field of teacher education. I was fortunate
Reading Garett and Segall’s (2013) piece on enough that the CoP organized in the second
“(Re)defining Resistance and Ignorance” semester of my first year in the doctoral
broadened my perspective that resistance program. Serving as a field supervisor for
could be interpreted as “positive tension” (p. students in their practicum placement at local
300) that may lead to new understandings. elementary schools, my classes were small—
While reading I was struck by the authors’ ten to fourteen students each semester—so
emphasis on the paramount role pedagogical we had the opportunity to engage in rich
decisions played in productively fostering discussions about their practice, and I helped
this new learning. The article provided me a facilitate their semester-long inquiry projects.
new lens to better embrace resistance and Facilitating these rich discussions about
refine my instruction to more effectively practice in the teacher preparation classroom
transition teacher candidates from resistance complemented the rich discussions that my
to learning. As Garrett and Segall (2013) colleagues and I had in our CoP. More
stated, resistance can be seen as “part of a importantly, the CoP meetings gave me the
successful pedagogy, one that is a marker of tools and confidence to weave my social
student engagement” (p. 301). Honing my justice stance into discussions and activities I
lens towards embracing resistance and planned with and for my students.
dissonance in the classroom has consequently Specifically, the acts of goal setting and then
aided in my facilitation of resistance in the reflecting on and soliciting feedback from the
classroom - an adjustment that may not have CoP regarding my goals, were essential
occurred without the knowledge gained in practices that altered my teaching and
my CoP. facilitated the development of my own social
Fast forwarding to the present, I find justice stance.
myself wondering how I might continue to First, setting personal teaching goals
enhance my knowledge and skills as a teacher that I shared in the CoP helped me to make
educator committed to social justice. As I explicit what before might have been
have embarked on additional roles within the implicit. As a classroom teacher I held social
elementary program, new insights and justice beliefs and implicitly wove those
wonderings have arisen. From these beliefs into my practice, but I was not
experiences, I recognize my evolving identity operating at a level of conscious awareness.
and admittedly struggle with how to best The CoP helped to concretize what before
prepare our predominantly white teacher had been abstract. My original goal for the
candidates to critically reflect upon CoP—for “students to leave my class with a
educational inequities and advocate for all social justice stance that looks at the multiple
students. With the support of the CoP, and a perspectives…seeks equity over equality as a
persistent personal inquiry stance, my solution”—still remains in a level of
commitment and passion towards socially abstraction, but the act of voicing this goal
just practices has been reinforced. More was crucial to ensuring that class activities
importantly, I am certain our community will would align with both curriculum
continue to develop our collective capacity in requirements and social justice ends. In my
a supportive setting. reflective journal I asked myself questions
such as:
Author 2’s Reflection How does my instruction coincide (or
fail to coincide) with my belief in
Similar to Author 1, I have found the
social justice? When am I promoting
CoP to be a powerful resource as I navigate
SRATE Journal Summer 2017/Volume 26(2) 12
what I think is right without thinking While instilling a social justice stance
of what my students need? What in teacher candidates continues to be an
pedagogical techniques are best important goal, participating in the CoP has
suited to introduce and discuss enabled me to refine my goals for practice
difficult topics? and beyond. I have since questioned, with
support from my colleagues, whether social
These are questions without easy justice can be instilled in students at all or if
answers, but as the CoP evolved, we began it must bubble up from their own felt
asking each other these questions regularly difficulties of practice. I wonder, too, what a
while seeking solutions from our own social justice stance might look like in
experiences and scholarly literature. teacher candidates and how it might be
Reflecting during the CoP on my goal measured or observed. Transitioning to
to instill a social justice stance in my students teaching a social studies methods class has
helped me troubleshoot my pedagogical also shifted my focus to the confluence of
choices. During the first semester in which I social justice education, teacher education for
participated in the CoP I found that the democracy and citizenship (Novak, 1994),
dynamic discussions my students engaged in and the role of the teacher educator in
about general teaching practice or their own influencing (and learning from) the public
personal inquiry projects fell apart when consciousness (Kumashiro, 2016).
topics like race, poverty, or immigration Embarking on the fourth semester of the CoP,
came up. My students’ silence worried me, I also find myself shifting from setting goals
and I wondered if they could really learn to developing wonderings and
about social justice if they refused to problematizing practice, much in line with
communicate. Members of the CoP helped Cochran-Smith and Lytle’s (2009) inquiry
me to understand the silence, pointed me to stance.
literature that further illuminated the
classroom dynamics (DiAngelo, 2012), and Connections
suggested strategies to facilitate dialogue.
For example, one of my colleagues As apparent from our reflections, we
recommended that I “include different both contend that our participation in the CoP
participation structures to accommodate has served as a valuable collaborative space
different styles [or] level[s] of confidence. to inform our evolving theoretical and
Chalk talk and carousel [walks] enable pedagogical knowledge. While we recognize
people to participate more quietly.” Another our continued development as socially just
member of the CoP suggested to “use the educators, we realize that participation in the
zones of learning—comfort, risk, danger CoP has not only solidified our commitments
zones—in the beginning of the session to towards socially just teacher education, but
normalize discomfort in the learning has enhanced our dedication. Through
process.” These protocols, drawn from the analyzing our [the authors] collaborative and
National School Reform Faculty, were not individual reflection we have identified some
new to me, but recommended in this context overarching connections related to our CoP
they were newly beneficial. As a result of the experience that we hope will further assist us,
helpful suggestions from my CoP, I was able and others, in productively and successfully
to engage students in ways other than moving forward as socially just teacher
traditional conversation and bookmarked educators.
strategies for use in subsequent semesters.
SRATE Journal Summer 2017/Volume 26(2) 13
First and foremost, the ability to beliefs as educators committed to socially
participate in a CoP focused solely on our just practices. From this state of instability
practices as teacher educators for social and change came a longing for “supportive
justice reignited our budding inquiry stance others” (Dinkleman, Margolis, & Sikkenga,
(Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009). Both of us 2006, p.14) to alleviate stress and provide a
have always held an inquiry stance; however, sense of community. Essentially, the CoP
through our doctoral studies our inquiry became our “supportive other” and has
stance has evolved into a critical aspect of our served as a source of encouragement and
identity as socially just teacher educators. An information during our induction to teacher
inquiry stance can be defined as “a education; however, we realize this is unique.
worldview, a habit of mind, a dynamic and As Murray and Male (2005) communicated,
fluid way of knowing and being in the world establishing one's identity as a teacher
of educational practice that carries across the educator typically occurs over multiple years
course of the professional career” (Cochran- and many individuals lack guidance to
Smith & Lytle, 2009, p. 113). As mentioned navigate higher education. While we feel
in our reflections, over time our goals have fortunate for our supportive environment, we
transformed into wonderings that have wonder how our evolving professional
guided us as we individually and collectively identities may have fared without the CoP. In
problematize practice and the social context particular, we wonder how the use of CoPs
of schooling. As Dana (2015) stated, an can support the “occupational transition” for
inquiry stance becomes, “a professional socially just novice teacher educators within
positioning or stance, owned by the teacher, an unsupportive institutional environment.
where questioning, systematically studying, Finally, collaborative dialogue
and subsequently improving one’s own emerged as an instrumental facet of our CoP
practice becomes a necessary and natural part that contributed to the evolution of our
of a teacher’s work” (pp. 162-163). Hence, critical inquiry stance and professional
we have come to realize our inquiry stance is identities. Wenger et al. (2002) identified that
the beacon to guide us as we engage in CoPs are “built on the collective experiences
teaching and research aimed at preparing of the community members” and include
critical and reflective teacher candidates. “open dialogue” (p. 54) among all members.
Another productive outcome from the Our CoP dialogue, consisting of everyday
CoP has been its influence on our interactions, focused problem solving,
“occupational transition” (Murray & Male, resource sharing, and collective inquiry, has
2005 p. 126) from K-12 school-based become an occasion to not only learn from
educators to university-based teacher each other, but to genuinely engage in
educators. While we both entered our inquiring conversations. Just as our personal
doctoral programs eager to delve into roles as critical inquiry stances evolved, collectively
teacher educators, we did not anticipate the our CoP has transformed into a community of
challenges surrounding our evolving inquiry in which dialogue has become an
identities. From navigating the institutional “existential necessity” (Freire, 2005, p. 88)
context of a research-intensive university to for continued growth. Overtime, our CoP has
the professional socialization encountered engaged in “joint construction of knowledge
within our immediate dual role of doctoral through conversation and other forms of
student/teacher educator, our identities were collaborative analysis and interpretation”
in flux. Added to this flux was our desire to (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2001, p. 53).
deepen our knowledge and articulate our Through our conversations, written
SRATE Journal Summer 2017/Volume 26(2) 14
reflections, and engaging with literature we community our experience in a CoP, and, by
have been able to make our “tacit knowledge sharing these experiences we hope to urge
more visible, call into question assumptions others to cultivate such groups in their own
about common practices, and generate data settings.
that make possible the consideration of
alternatives” (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2001, References
p. 53). Our CoP’s collaborative knowledge
Cochran-Smith, M. & Lytle, S. L. (2001).
construction has heightened our desire to
Beyond certainty: Taking an inquiry
reject status quo and continuously pushes our
stance on practice (Chapter 4). In A.
current thinking related to socially just
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