Addressing deficit constructs through critical counter-narratives and transformative coaching

Abstract

AMLE advocates for educators to respect and value young adolescents. Yet, the narrative surrounding early adolescence in the United States centers chaos, hormones, and emotional drama. Middle school educators repeat or hear some version of this narrative daily, yet it remains unchecked and unaddressed in professional development. Deficit constructs, rooted in damage-centered narratives of young adolescents, influence pedagogy and impact instructional decisions and student outcomes. Although the negative impact of damage-centered narratives is especially visceral on Black, brown, bilingual, and disabled students, all students would benefit from teachers who have had professional development to address damage narratives. This article explores the use of counter-narrative in curricula to shift teachers toward transformative pedagogically productive talk and away from damage-centered narratives and deficit constructs of students.