En La Lucha: The Struggles and Triumphs of Latino/a Preservice Teachers

Abstract

Background/Context Several studies have argued that the academic struggles of Latino/a students are connected, at least in part, to the dearth of Latino/a teachers and other school personnel who may be better equipped to meet the needs of this group. Others have suggested that there are significant academic benefits to having a more diverse teaching force. Despite significant population growth among Latinos/as in the United States, the teaching force remains overwhelmingly White, as Latino/a students continue to be underrepresented in institutions of higher education and, more specifically, within teacher education programs. Purpose/Objective/Focus of the Study Given the failure of teacher preparation programs to attract and retain more Latino/a students, and the implications that the shortage of qualified teachers has on Latino/a and other K–12 students, it is vital to learn from the challenges and successes of Latino/a preservice teachers to improve the ways in which teachers of diverse backgrounds are attracted into the field and prepared for this work. This article reports the findings of an ethnographic study in which a cohort of Latino/a preservice teachers was followed from the teachers’ recruitment into college, through their undergraduate years and, for most, their eventual transition into the teaching profession. Setting All the participants were undergraduate students enrolled in the teacher education program at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) of higher education in the northeastern United States. Participants A cohort of 5 Latino/a preservice teachers recruited to the institution as part of a minority teacher recruitment program participated in the study. Research Design This article draws from data collected ethnographically, using phenome-nological interviews, observations, field notes, and student work products to document barriers that students encountered while navigating their preservice teacher education program. The author critically examines how this cohort of Latino/a undergraduates experienced systematic silencing, the result of the acts of individual agents and institutional practices and policies that manifested in overt and subtle forms of subordination. Findings The study reveals how subordination serves to marginalize students of color by hindering their full, active participation in teacher preparation programs through the silencing of their voices. Using critical race theory (CRT) and Latino/a critical race theory (LatCrit) as analytic lenses, the author describes multiple sites within the institution of higher education where students experienced silencing. Conclusions/Recommendations The article concludes with a discussion of implications, framed around the central tenets of CRT and LatCrit, for improving the recruitment and retention of Latino/a college students in teacher education, particularly as an important means for enhancing the educational experiences and outcomes for Latinos/as in K–12 schools.

Navigating the Double Bind: A Systematic Literature Review of the Experiences of Novice Teachers of Color in K–12 Schools

“…We excluded studies of novices’ own K–12 schooling, unless they also examined experiences in preservice practicum or in-service (e.g., Frank, 2018, was included). We excluded studies of novices’ experiences in teacher education (Irizarry, 2011, was excluded), unless they examined a practicum in K–12 (e.g., Kornfeld, 1999, was included). Although teacher education programs play key roles in socializing novices into the profession, their organizational context differs substantially from K–12 schools and warrants separate review.…”

The Incongruent Racial Grammar of Teacher Education: A Critical Race Theory Study of Black and Latina Preservice Teachers

“…Resultantly, Black and Latina preservice educators often confide in me during office hours or after class about their everyday experiences with the racial grammar of teacher education. As a former first-generation low-income Black student who attended historically white institutions, I can attest to experiences of silencing (Irizarry, 2011) and the self-suppression of Black vernacular English (Haddix, 2012). However, as a Black male, I understand that I cannot and do not possess the "double-bind narrative" (Berry & Cook, 2019, p. 91) that women of color experience.…”

“…(Rogers-Ard et al, 2012), teacher education as a field is only interested in diversity for pamphlet's sake, but are unconcerned with what PSTOC both contribute to and experience in teacher preparation programs. Further attention is especially needed to this matter given that preservice teachers of color often experience tokenization, dismissal of their perspectives, racialized tropes, and overall silencing (Bower-Phipps et al, 2013;Endo, 2015;Irizarry, 2011;Kohli, 2009;Meachem, 2000). Haddix (2012) conducted a year-long ethnographic and sociolinguistic study of Black preservice teachers across multiple domains of teacher education: practicum experiences, university level instruction, and social settings.…”

“…For bilingual Latinx preservice teachers, experiences with linguistic discrimination and violence are also commonplace with these attacks often being rooted in racialized notions of language and citizenship (Ek, Sanchez, & Quijada Cerecer, 2013;Irizarry, 2011;Sarmiento-Arribalzaga & Murillo, 2010;Yazan, 2017). Irizarry (2011) drew from CRT and LatCrit to frame his ethnographic narrative analysis of five Latinx teacher preparation students. Irizarry underscored how Latinx students experienced systematic silencing in three ways: through curriculum and pedagogy of teacher education, in social spaces, and as a result of school policies.…”

“…The racial grammar of teacher education ignores the racial, gendered, and classbased structural barriers which often prohibit PSTOC from entering the profession through teacher preparation programs (Milner & Howard, 2013;Milner, Pearman, & McGee, 2013;Sleeter, 2017). The racial grammar of teacher education also omits the dehumanizing and oppressive experiences that might inhibit PSTOCs from completing an educator preparation program with their humanity intact (Endo, 2015;Irizarry, 2011;Haddix, 2012;Kohli, 2009;Meachem, 2000;Wilkins & Lall, 2011).…”