Presentation
Preparing Teachers to Identify and Respond to the Ethical Dimensions of Race and Racism in Teaching
Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA)
(2007)
Abstract
One of the challenges of learning to teach in urban schools is learning to understand the context so that one can teach in a way that is consistent with ones beliefs, values and goals (Cameron-McCabe, 2000). For new teachers who cross race and class lines to teach in settings different from the ones they know, learning to read students is part of the challenge (Villegas and Lucas, 2002; Bartolomé and Balderamma, 2001; Nieto, 1999; Delpit, 1995). This is particularly so given how race functions to systematically disadvantage people in our society and our schools. Learning to act in the best interest of students requires learning to recognize and deal with race and racism. We have developed several strategies in our Introduction to the Profession class directed towards building this capability. Our Ethical Dilemma Case Assignment is one. We locate this assignment under the umbrella of our program principle "teaching is moral work" and argue that learning to read students and their school experiences accurately---and then act on their behalf---are central to ones moral responsibility as a teacher.
The Ethical Dilemma Case Assignment studied in the research reported here requires student teachers to prepare and present ethical dilemma cases that describe instances of practice for which they were unclear about how to act in their students best interest. These cases, along with our students reflections about the process of writing and presenting them to colleagues, form our database. Of the 175 cases written bedy three classes of student teachers over a three-year period, we have selected a subset where the student teachers focused on race. Our preliminary analysis revealed five themes around which this group of novice teachers grappled with issues of race in their teaching: 1) curriculum and race; 2) conversations about race in the classroom; 3) professional boundaries based on race and culture; 4) the convergence of professional and racial identity; and 5) race and language. In the paper we develop these themes as illustrative of the process of learning to grapple with race and racism in teaching. In addition we explore how the case methodology served---or did not serve---to support our students' developing competency to deal with these matters in their work. Finally, we explore what we learned for our own teaching and how this ethical dilemma casework has helped us grapple with race and racism in our teaching as well.
Disciplines
Publication Date
April 10, 2007
Location
Chicago, IL
Comments
Presented as part of the session: "First Things First": Self-Study's Role in Preparing Ourselves and Our Students to Deal With Race/Racism.
Citation Information
Anna E. Reichert and Colette Rabin. "Preparing Teachers to Identify and Respond to the Ethical Dimensions of Race and Racism in Teaching" Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) (2007) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/colette_rabin/59/