Teacher education at the intersection of race and ability

Abstract

In this dialogue with Phillip A. Boda’s Conceptualizing the margins into science education praxis: disability as case in point, I would like to continue the conversation on an equity-focused graduate course meant to prepare pre-service educators to value and leverage diversity in the classroom. While Boda’s analysis revealed that graduate students struggled to attend to disability as a marker of diversity when planning classroom activities, a similar study conducted by Waitoller and Kozleski (Teach Teach Educ Int J Res Stud 31:35–45, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2012.11.006 ) showed that graduate students often attended to disability over cultural diversity. Both studies point to the need for teacher preparation programs that prepare educators to create inclusive environments that support, value, and empower students at the intersection of various forms of diversity. This article will leverage axiological shifts noted in graduate students’ reflections from Boda’s study to start a discussion about Waitoller and Kozleski’s view of inclusive education. Pulling from scholarship on asset-based pedagogies and my experience as an urban science educator in special education settings, I will discuss opportunities to create educator learning experiences that can connect theory and practice.