For the Love of Teaching

There remains a significant achievement gap for students of color across the K–12 spectrum. One area that needs increased and immediate attention is how we recruit, prepare, and retain teachers of color. This book asks: Why do teachers of color choose teaching? What are their expectations for the students they will teach? How do their past experiences shape their vision of teachers as role models, mentors, and advocates for children of all races and cultures? The authors detail how Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)—nearly 800 colleges and universities across the nation that educate nearly 45% of all students of color—are preparing culturally proficient teachers using new methods centered on integrating culturally relevant pedagogy, creating a culture of belonging through faculty engagement and cohort models, enriching student teaching and clinical practice through residencies and school–university partnerships, and working closely with families and communities. Addressing timely and critical issues of educational equity, For the Love of Teaching is a call to action for all colleges and university to improve their teacher education programs.

Book Features:

• Provides case studies of MSIs that are intentionally preparing culturally proficient teachers who are skilled and experienced with diverse groups of students.
• Offers lessons and approaches from four minority-serving colleges with programs that attract and serve non-White teacher candidates.
• Includes a broad overview of innovative practices in all aspects of learning to teach, making it relevant to almost any teacher education course.
• Focuses on serving the needs and maintaining the commitment of candidates of color, while also developing their academic skills and subject-specific content knowledge.

Alice E. Ginsberg is a Senior Research Specialist in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. Marybeth Gasman is the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at Rutgers University. Andrés Castro Samayoa is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Boston College.

“For the Love of Teaching paints an intimate portrait of brilliance, hard work, and promise at MSI teacher education programs. Readers learn how these mighty institutions bring about a more ethical and just education world.”
—Emery Petchauer, professor, Michigan State University

Contents

Preface: Love and Teaching  ix

Acknowledgments  xi

Introduction: What’s Love Got to Do With It?  1

1.  Teacher Education and Diversity: Information vs. Transformation  7
History of Diversity and Racial Equity in Teacher Education  7
Access to Higher Education for Students of Color Interested in Teaching  11
“The Overwhelming Presence of Whiteness” in Teacher Education Programs  12
Lack of Program Coherence  16
High Stakes Entry and Certification Exams  18
Recruitment and Retention of Teachers of Color in Hard-to-Staff Schools  19

2.  “A Story to Tell”: Who Are Minority Serving Institution Teacher Educators and Teacher Candidates?  21
Tulia  23
Jeanne  25
Rafael  26
Alba, Camila, and Elmira  28
Cortez  30
Dean  32
Kim  33
Seth  35

3.  Changing the Narrative: What Does Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Look Like in Action?  38
What Is Culturally Relevant Pedagogy?  40
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and MSIs  42
A Place of Hope and Healing: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy at Stone Child College  44
Every Step Forward Sea Con Paso Firme: Stories and Images of Teaching in California’s Central Valley  49
“You Can’t Sit Behind a Desk”: Visibility and Black Role Models at Jackson State University  53
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy as Community Analysis  58

4.  “Belonging”: Faculty Support and Cohort Models in MSI Teacher Education Programs  62
Like Family  63
“Not Just a Number”: Personalized and Holistic Faculty Care  64
Peer Leadership and Support: MSI Cohort Models  67
My Brother’s Keeper: Cohorts and Call Me MISTER at Jackson State University  69
“They Were Us”: Cohorts and the Mini Corps Program at California State University, Fresno  73

5.  “Homegrown”: Teacher Residencies and University–School Partnerships  77
So, What’s Wrong With Student Teaching?  80
“We Were There from the Beginning”: California State University, Fresno’s Rural Residency Program  84
“Their Time in the Classroom Is Just as Important as Mine”: New Mexico State University’s Blocks Program  88

6.  Where Wisdom Sits: Teacher Preparation and Community Engagement  93
Home Visits  94
Community Service  96
Parental Education  97
Field Trips  98
Inquiry, Action Research, and Advocacy  100

7.  A Call to Action  105
Diversify the Teaching Profession  105
Integrate Culturally Relevant Pedagogy  105
Expand Student Teaching and Clinical Practice  106
Recruit Former K–12 Teachers to the Faculty  107
Promote Cohort Models  107
Provide Wraparound Candidate Support  107
Foster Community Engagement  108
Respect the Teaching Profession  108
Communicate Messages of Success  108
Consider the Importance of Love  109

Final Thoughts  111

Appendix A: The Study  113

Notes  117

References  119

Index  127

About the Authors  131