Gender, Race, and Class in the Lives of Today’s Teachers : Educators at Intersections

This volume explores the professional experiences of a vast array of educators through a series of research essays that focus on the interplay of gender, race, class, and sexualities as well as how these dynamics influence the educators’ teaching. The volume illuminates this interplay not only in traditional classroom settings, but also in non-traditional contexts such as prisons and juvenile detention facilities, family education, dual-language immersion programs, early childhood education, and higher education, including teacher training programs. The concluding chapter, written by the editors, provides general recommendations for recruiting and retaining a more diverse teacher workforce worldwide. From autoethnographies to pláticas, testimonios and in-depth interviews, this qualitatively rich volume offers powerful and timely insights about the experiences of teachers who are too often overlooked. Gilda L. Ochoa, Professor of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies This illuminating book centers educators’ intersectional subjectivities and lived experiences, bringing to life the radical possibilities of transformative education. It is a much needed resource for anyone invested in understanding and advancing education as a catalyst for equity and social justice. Lorena Garcia, Associate Professor of Sociology & Latin American and Latino Studies Acknowledgments 6 Contents 7 About the Editors 10 Introduction: The Centrality of Intersectionality 11 Background 12 Chapter Outline 15 References 16 Part I: Why We Teach: Aspirations and Inspirations 18 Introduction: Why We Teach: Aspirations and Inspirations 19 References 20 ``I ́m Not Really in It for the Pay. I ́m in It to Help Inspire Other Students. ́ ́ Why Latinx Male High School Students Aspire to... 21 Introduction 21 Literature Review 22 Men Choosing to Teach 22 Men of Color Choosing to Teach 23 Method 24 Research Site 24 Participants 24 Data Collection 25 Data Analysis 26 Findings 28 A Career for Connecting (Interpersonal Impacts) 28 Impacting Their Community (Societal Impacts) 30 Family Support 31 Discussion 33 Implications and Future Directions 34 References 35 And the Category IsQueer Father Realness: Queer Black Male Mentors and the ``Fathering ́ ́ of Straight Black Male Students 38 A Theoretical Framework/Centering 39 Dr. Michael J. Seaberry, ``Pops/Dad ́ ́ 40 Mr. Brandon Jamaal Stroud 42 Dr. David Julius Ford, Jr. 43 Conclusion 45 References 45 Genesis of a Latina Science Professor 47 Introduction 47 A Family of Mexican American Teachers 47 Una Jóven Científica 56 Finding a Place in the Academy 57 References 62 Conclusion: Why We Teach: Aspirations and Inspirations 66 Discussion Questions 67 Part II: Classroom Struggles 68 Introduction: Classroom Struggles 69 Learning from Asian Teachers: Internal Diversity and Perceptions of Minority Students and Their Families 71 Introduction 71 Research Methodology 73 The Schools: Goodwill and Compton Elementary 75 Connecting with Students and Teachers via Immigration Histories 76 Languages and Dialects 80 ``It ́s Not Fair ́ ́: Asian Anti-Latino Sentiment and Stereotypes 83 Conclusions 87 References 87 Teaching Up: Faculty of Color Teaching About Privilege 89 Introduction 89 Literature Review 91 Feminist Teaching 92 Teaching Up 92 Impression Management 93 Faculty of Color: An Intersectional Exploration 93 Methodology 94 Findings 95 Teaching About Privilege and Inequality 95 Student Resistance 96 Impression Management as Faculty of Color 99 Future Research Directions 102 Conclusion 102 References 104 A Queer Decolonial Feminist Approach to Teaching Intersectionality 106 Introduction 106 The Polemics of Living and Teaching Intersectionality Queerly 109 Teaching Intersectionality 114 Pedagogical Challenges: Student Race Aversive Responses to Learning Intersectionality 118 Conclusion 120 References 121 Conclusion: Classroom Struggles 124 Discussion Questions 125 Part III: Systemic Struggles 126 Introduction: Systemic Struggles 127 References 128 Race, Gender, and Sexualities in Australian Teacher Education: Reflections from the Intersections 129 Introduction 129 Methodology 132 Stories Are the Data 133 Story Is the Data: Aleryk ́s Story 133 Story 1 133 Story 2 134 Story Is the Data: Michael ́s Story 135 Story 1: Journal Writing (Prompted by Journal Extracts Which Were Written on Lygon St.) 136 Story 2: A Relevant (Altered and Fictionalized) Event 137 Story Is the Data: Emily ́s Story 138 Reflections and Strategies 139 References 142 Jumpin ́ In, Stayin ́ In, and Double-Dutchin ́ It: Teacher Attrition from an African American International Educator 145 Introduction 146 The Limited Presence of AA Teachers in US K-12 Schools 147 Intersectionality 148 Autoethnography 149 Autoethnographic Methods 150 Defining Double-Dutch Ropes Through Narrative 151 Mobility Through Higher Education 152 Self-perception Within Mobility 154 Mobility as a US Educator 156 The Conclusion: Embodying the Rhythm of the Ropes 158 Recommendations 159 References 159 Conclusion: Systemic Struggles 162 Discussion Questions 163 Part IV: Intersectional Strategies in the Classroom 165 Introduction: Intersectional Strategies in the Classroom 166 References 167 Dual Immersion as Multicultural Education: A Reflection on Cross-cultural Research 169 Introduction 169 Going Abroad 170 Dual Language Immersion Programs 171 Gaining Access 171 Methodological Framework 173 Cross-cultural Research 174 Cross-cultural Pedagogy 175 Race and Chinese 176 Multicultural Education 177 Parents of African-American Students Studying Chinese (PAASSC) 179 Conclusion 181 References 182 Case Studies in Preparing Future Teachers: A Gay Educator in New Zealand ́s Initial Teacher Education 184 Introduction 184 Background 186 Case Study Methodology 188 The Student Teachers: Jason, Lisa, and Kathy 189 Jason 190 Lisa 191 Kathy 193 Final Thoughts 196 References 197 Anti-oppressive Early Childhood Teacher Training Through Humility, Intersectionality, and Love 200 Introduction 200 Literature Review 201 Horizontal Violence 201 Barriers and Strengths 202 Background 202 The Program 202 Population 203 How I Am Placed in This Context 204 Methods 204 Analysis of Application and Practice 205 How We Started 205 Community Building 206 Creativity 208 Leadership 209 Agency 210 Universal Design for Learning 211 Reflective Practice 213 Transformation and Innovation 214 Conclusion 214 References 217 Conclusion: Intersectional Strategies in the Classroom 220 Discussion Questions 221 Part V: Teaching Outside of the Traditional Classroom 222 Introduction: Teaching Outside of the Traditional Classroom 223 A Chicano Abolitionist Teaching in Jail: The Impact of Race, Gender, and Class 225 Joyful Moments and Challenging Moments 225 Becoming a Chicano Abolitionist Educator 226 An Undercommon Critical Pedagogy 228 Background 229 Cook County Jail 229 96 Acres Project 230 Radioactive: Stories from Beyond the Wall 231 Race, Gender, and Class While Teaching in Cook County Jail (Fig. 4) 235 Navigating Cook County Jail 236 Proximity and Distance with Participants 239 After Radioactive (Figs. 5 and 6) 241 References 243 Embodying Institutional Intersections: Juvenile School Educators as Agents of Survival 245 Introduction 245 The Importance of Intersectionality and Social Institutions 246 The Educators and The Schools 248 The Educators 248 The Juvenile Schools 250 El Péndulo (The Pendulum) Juvenile Hall School 250 James Sinclair Community School 251 San Alberto County Juvenile Hall 251 Shoreline Sands Program 251 The Research Methodology 251 The Nurturing Counselors: Women of Color Educators at the Intersection of Family and Education 252 The Disciplining Mentors: Men of Color Educators at the Intersection of Education and Law Enforcement 255 Whiteness, Class, and Juvenile School Educators as Agents of Survival 258 Conclusion 261 References 262 Responsive Family Life Education in the Age of Intersectionality 264 Responsive Family Life Education in the Age of Intersectionality 264 Race and Class 266 Gender 267 Intersections of Race, Class, and Gender 268 Background 269 Responsive Family Life Education (RFLE) 270 Avoid Making Assumptions About Categories of People in Teaching 270 Invite Conversation and Discussion of the Unique Experiences of People at the Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender 271 We Strongly Encourage Needs Assessments of Families Being Served by Family Life Educators 272 Educators of Families Should Be Well Versed in Pedagogy Dealing with the Hot-Button Political Issues that Surface in Families 273 Teaching and Learning May Happen Best, Not When Teachers Lecture Students and Audiences, But When Students and Audiences Teach... 273 Utilize a Cultural Difference Paradigm that Values the Unique Qualities and Strengths of Individuals at Intersections of Race,... 274 Consider the Integral Nature of Family Life Education and Translational Family Science 275 Conclusion 276 References 277 Conclusion: Teaching Outside of the Traditional Classroom 279 Discussion Questions 280 Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here? 281 References 284 "This volume explores the professional experiences of a vast array of educators through a series of research essays that focus on the interplay of gender, race, class, race and sexualities as well as how these dynamics influence the educators' teaching. The volume illuminates this interplay not only in traditional classroom settings, but also in non-traditional contexts such as prisons and juvenile detentionfacilities, family education, dual-language immersion programs, early childhood education, and higher education, including teacher training programs. The concluding chapter, written by the editors, provides general recommendations for recruiting and retaining a more diverse teacher workforce worldwide