Social Justice Pedagogy: Simple Gestures of Humanity

Abstract

Social justice is a distinct national agenda in teacher education reform. In the report of the AERA Panel on Research and Teacher Education, panel members Cochran-Smith and Fries (2005) conceptualize social justice educators to “be professional educators as well as activists who commit to diminishing the inequities of American Society” (p. 45). We agree with Cochran-Smith and Fries that the work of teacher education professors needs to be informed by this agenda; thus, this conceptualization is important to our commitment as social justice educators. We understand the what, the why, and the how political agendas and established institutional norms intersect pedagogical ethics for social justice, resulting in a systematic silencing or ignoring the challenges of rectifying social and educational inequities. We perceive the what in the policies and mandates embedded in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation because they demonstrate formulaic approaches to the achievement of academic progress. At the state level, an emphasis on prescriptive approaches leading to “fast track” teacher “licensure” requirements is another demonstration of the intersection between institutionalized political agendas and social justice pedagogy. In the face of these realities, social justice educators teach “against the grain” in order to provide equitable and accessible education for ALL students.