Preparing Antiracist Teachers: One Teacher Preparation Program’s Journey

Abstract

It is vital that teachers today eschew white supremacy and actively work toward being antiracist in both the content they teach in their classrooms and the ways in which they teach that content, now more than ever before. This paper chronicles the journey that one teacher preparation program has embarked upon to intentionally prepare antiracist prek-12 teachers who promote justice and equity in their classrooms. The authors describe the intentional scaffolding of experiences that their preservice teachers complete as they progress through their licensure programs. The focus is on the various ways in which the authors affect change, beginning with their actions within the larger university community, as well as shifts they have made within the Education Department. They also share the work they have done revising foundational education coursework, and then drill down to the changes made to methods courses for pk-12 preservice teachers, across content areas and licensure grade bands. Lessons learned and a thoughtful reflection on next steps are also included.