Integrate or Adapt? Reflections on Teaching Preservice Educators for Critical Consciousness

Abstract

The struggle to equitably serve low-income students of color in U.S. schools is as significant as ever. The nation is also struggling to prepare enough teachers to serve these students. These challenges are exacerbated when these students are more likely to attend substandard schools. Combined, a tension exists between producing enough teachers and developing teachers who can justly respond to these challenges. One way to address this challenge is to interrogate teacher ideology. This article is a reflective analysis of one professor's experiences in teaching preservice teachers for critical consciousness in a complex social context.