Practices of Compassionate, Critical, Justice-Oriented Teacher Education
Source: Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 67, Issue 1, January/February 2016
In this case study, two teacher educators in urban teacher education programs identify and analyze the components of teacher education practice in relation to a vision of compassionate, critical, justice-oriented teacher education.
Using Grossman et al.’s concepts of preparation for professional practice as an analytic tool, the authors illuminate some of their teacher education practices that (a) facilitated the development of relationships and community within our classes, (b) honored preservice teachers’ lived experiences and existing attitudes, (c) introduced preservice teachers to multiple perspectives of viewing the world, and (d) provided a vision of equitable, intellectually challenging teaching and learning.
Drawing on the data, the authors offer a pedagogical framework that identifies key features of compassionate, critical, justice-oriented teacher education to inform research and practice. They highlight the contributions of this framework for justice-oriented teacher education and the inherent complexity of attempts to parse such fundamentally messy relational practice.
Reference
Grossman P., Compton C., Igra D., Ronfeldt M., Shahan E., Williamson P. (2009). Teaching practice: A cross-professional perspective. Teachers College Record, 111(9), 2055-2100.