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1 – 10 of over 6000Chance W. Lewis and Ivory A. Toldson
Black Male Teachers: Diversifying the United States’ Teacher Workforce, is the first book in the series, Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education. The book represents a…
Abstract
Black Male Teachers: Diversifying the United States’ Teacher Workforce, is the first book in the series, Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education. The book represents a collective effort between research scholars, policy experts, and in-service Black Male Teachers. Through this book, we affirm the values of teacher preparation that we introduced in our call for chapters. Black Male Teachers is a book to provide Black male teachers with the resources to advance in the profession, teacher education programs with needed training materials to accommodate Black male students, and school district administrators with information to help recruit and retain Black male teachers. Each chapter features policy and practice recommendations and a case example to spur action and increase opportunities for discussion.
Currently, the field of education has been seeking innovative strategies to increase the representation of Black male teachers in U.S. classrooms. In this chapter, the author…
Abstract
Currently, the field of education has been seeking innovative strategies to increase the representation of Black male teachers in U.S. classrooms. In this chapter, the author presents a status report of Black male teachers’ path to U.S. K-12 public school classrooms at six critical stages. These stages include the following: (a) Black males with a high school diploma; (b) enrollment in educator preparation programs; (c) educator preparation program completers; (d) educator preparation programs with the highest number of Black male graduates; (e) Black male education degree holders that select teaching as a profession; and (f) the current status of Black male teachers in U.S. K-12 public schools. Based on the data presented in this chapter, recommendations are provided to the field of education to improve their representation for the benefit of all students. Additionally, the critical need for this timely book is discussed.
Scholarly literature on Black teachers has traditionally depicted a cultural connectedness between Black teachers and Black students. Drawing upon one set of findings from a…
Abstract
Scholarly literature on Black teachers has traditionally depicted a cultural connectedness between Black teachers and Black students. Drawing upon one set of findings from a broader qualitative study on the experiences of 11 Black male teachers in a predominantly Black urban school district, this chapter explores the intraracial divides that confounded study participants’ relationships with Black students and local Black communities. By charting the contested terrains of Black identity politics within urban schools and their surrounding neighborhoods, this chapter reveals the need for critical considerations of how Black male educators can respond to the heterogeneous and evolving nature of Black identities in contemporary American society. Several strategies are offered to enable Black male teachers to negotiate the intraracial differences that may emerge in their work with Black students.
Candice Crowell, Kamilah M. Woodson and Shafeeq Rashid
Black male teachers represent between two and five percent of the teaching force, yet many research studies have suggested the importance of their presence in the classroom. While…
Abstract
Black male teachers represent between two and five percent of the teaching force, yet many research studies have suggested the importance of their presence in the classroom. While most research focuses on the necessity of a larger force of Black male teachers to serve as role models for Black male students, minimal research examines their importance in teaching Black female students. In addition to this lack of research, teacher-training programs, even those that tailor their programming toward Black men, do little to address issues of teaching across gender. This phenomenon has implications for Black male teacher retention, Black female student success, and improved gender dynamics in the Black community. This chapter highlights the dynamics of teaching across gender through review of the literature and a case study. It presents the Gender Dynamic Awareness Model, a conceptual framework for use in teacher training that addresses five factors for Black men to consider when teaching Black female students.
Julius Davis, Toya Jones Frank and Lawrence M. Clark
In an effort to diversify the nation’s teaching force, the U.S. Department of Education has initiated programs to increase teachers of color in U.S. schools, particularly Black…
Abstract
In an effort to diversify the nation’s teaching force, the U.S. Department of Education has initiated programs to increase teachers of color in U.S. schools, particularly Black male teachers in subject areas like mathematics. In that Black male mathematics teachers continue to be under researched, particularly in urban school contexts, it was critical that their cases were (1) documented and analyzed in an effort to better understand their experiences and practices, and (2) utilized to inform teacher recruitment efforts. In this chapter, we present the case of Floyd Lee, a Black male mathematics teacher who participated in an NSF-funded research study of Black Algebra 1 teachers teaching in an urban school district. We present experiences that appear to influence his practice and consider how his case, and other cases like Floyd’s, might inform efforts to increase the number of Black male mathematics teachers in U.S. schools.
This paper aims to understand the preparation that a group of black male pre-service students received during their course and its impact on their willingness to commit to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand the preparation that a group of black male pre-service students received during their course and its impact on their willingness to commit to entering the teaching profession.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on findings from a small-scale qualitative study of black and minority ethnic student teachers’ experiences in one initial teacher education institution.
Findings
The paper raises questions as to whether black pre-service teachers’ experiences of a lack of acceptance in schools during their pre-service training contribute to the under-representation of black male teachers in English schools.
Originality/value
There is limited research on the experiences of black male student teachers. The paper brings new insights and offers reasons for black male student teachers not entering the teaching profession.
Details
Keywords
Kimberly Underwood, Joy Taylor, Donna Smith and J. Medgar Roberts
This paper aims to provide a critical examination of the career trajectories of Black male educators through the discussion of key issues relevant to the professional development…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a critical examination of the career trajectories of Black male educators through the discussion of key issues relevant to the professional development and advancement of this population.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors approach this paper through the examination of literature related to Black male educators. The authors seek to provide insight into the status of Black male educators through a critical focus of scholarship in the three critical areas of Black male educator recruitment, retention and mobility.
Findings
This examination supports the need to generate sustainable initiatives to diversify our nation’s classrooms and create additional opportunities for Black male representation in school leadership positions. Effectively dismantling the entrenched hurdles many encounter within their teaching careers requires a concerted commitment by advocates, policymakers and school administrators at all levels. Additionally, there is a continued need for stakeholders to keep the diversification of P-12 schools as a key priority in current education reform strategies.
Social implications
This paper serves as an impetus to highlight the continued need for further exploration and consequential action to increase the numbers of Black males in the teaching profession.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the literature surrounding Black male educators by providing a holistic view of their career trajectories of Black male educators and shedding light on the need for ongoing efforts to diversify the P-12 teaching workforce.
Details
Keywords
There is very little research of Black male mathematics teachers from African countries teaching in the USA, specifically, their preparation and teaching experiences. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
There is very little research of Black male mathematics teachers from African countries teaching in the USA, specifically, their preparation and teaching experiences. The purpose of this study is to shed light on three Black male mathematics teachers from two African countries teacher preparation and teaching experiences in three African countries and the USA.teachers.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a qualitative narrative research design to examine the teacher preparation and teaching experiences of Black African male mathematics teachers.
Findings
The results of this study reveal that the Black African male mathematics teachers participated in traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs that were unique to the African countries. The results also revealed that these teachers saw their teacher preparation program in the USA as preparing them to teach in this context. The results also revealed that all three of the teachers’ experienced success teaching struggling learners and English language learners mathematics in African countries and the USA.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to a small participant pool of three Black African mathematics teachers that cannot be generalized to other Black male teachers. There needs to be more research of Black male mathematics teachers, in general, and those from other countries, specifically. There also needs to be more research of Black male teachers’ teaching practices that are successful with Black students as well as English language learners.
Practical implications
Based on the study findings, policy-makers and stakeholders interested in recruiting and retaining Black male teachers and specifically, in mathematics needs to expand conceptualization and definitions to include those from other countries.
Originality/value
This results of this study add a valuable contribution to the research of Black male teachers, in general, and mathematics, in particular. It expands conceptualizations of who constitutes a Black male teachers in the USA.
Details
Keywords
Tambra O. Jackson, Gloria S. Boutte and Brandy S. Wilson
Simultaneously drawing from DuBois’ timeless question, “How does it feel to be a problem?” (DuBois, 1990[1903], p. 7) and contemporary notions that Black males are the solution to…
Abstract
Simultaneously drawing from DuBois’ timeless question, “How does it feel to be a problem?” (DuBois, 1990[1903], p. 7) and contemporary notions that Black males are the solution to solving social and educational troubles in the Black community such as gang violence, high school dropout rates, and fatherless homes (Duncan, 2011), we focus on the positioning of Black males in the discourse on teacher recruitment and retention. While acknowledging the need to recruit and retain Black male teachers, we explore the weightiness of viewing Black males as the panacea for educational and social issues in schools such as disproportionate dropout and expulsion rates for students of color and youth involvement in gangs. We identify both challenges and opportunities faced by Black males and capture the complex and sometimes contradictory discourses. Particular attention is given to deconstructing the “double-talk” (Black males as both a problem and a solution) which positions Black male teachers as both the crisis and the savior/superhero.