I struggle because the world has changed so drastically from when I started teaching nearly 15 years ago. How can I prepare teachers for a career that is far more politicized than I ever experienced?

When I decided to become a teacher educator, I knew it was partially because I had felt underprepared for my own first job. As I entered my first classroom, I found there was much more to teaching than what appears on the surface. You certainly can’t prepare teachers for the time they will have to help a student find their lost retainer in the trash; for the time they will have a student in crisis; for the time they will have a student who does something completely random and unexplainable, like eating a post-it note. However, I knew there were things I could have been prepared for that I wasn’t. So when I made the choice to become a teacher educator, I knew, in part, this was one of the many reasons why. 

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I struggle because I don’t know how to prepare teachers to deal with parents with radical political beliefs (on either end of the spectrum). How can I prepare preservice teachers for the inevitable chance a parent will complain about the content of their courses?

I started my PhD program in 2015, the year before Trump’s presidency began. Sure, there were book bans still in existence. Sure, there were parents who were outspoken about the content of the curriculum. Sure, there were political figures supporting school vouchers. But I never really felt these were issues at the forefront of teachers’ minds. In fact, many of my colleagues and the preservice teachers I worked with were making intentional steps to bring more diverse voices into their classrooms. They were choosing to read The Hate U Give along with or instead of To Kill a Mockingbird. They recognized the power of YA literature in helping students connect with the curriculum. Teaching underrepresented and historically marginalized voices was important to their pedagogical stances. 

Let me be clear: I am not suggesting that teachers believe underrepresented and historically marginalized voices are unimportant. I know teachers still find such voices valuable and work to put them into their curriculum. However, what has changed drastically is the political climate. With the rise in radical voices and more legislation that limits what can be taught in the classroom, I struggle to prepare teachers for this climate. In my classes, I emphasize honoring student voices, challenging assumptions, and exploring differing perspectives. Now, those very stances can get you marked with a red flag. 

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I struggle because how can I ethically encourage people to enter into a field where you are constantly vilified and fear for your job?

As I write this, Governor DeSantis of Florida and the Florida Department of Education rejected a proposal to add Advanced Placement African American Studies to their state offerings. This decision was based on ideas that “the class indoctrinates students to ‘a political agenda’” (Kim, 2023, para. 1). Florida Education Commissioner Diaz supported this decision by stating “We proudly require the teaching of African American history. We do not accept woke indoctrination masquerading as education” (Kim, 2023, para. 14). Even though the AP African American Studies course was approved by the College Board, which is the governing board for Advanced Placement courses, Florida deemed this to be “masquerading as education.” How can I, ethically and morally, prepare teachers to enter into such a contested field? How can I teach my future teachers that historically marginalized voices need to be elevated when there are legislators who are working to dismantle the very stance I take in the classroom? 

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I struggle because I know this job is important and I know my future teachers know this job is important, but the political climate sends a message that teachers are indoctrinating students with “liberal” mindsets. 

This is not an issue that exists only in other states. In Iowa, we have House File 802 (HF 802), which states that “any mandatory staff training provided by an employee of an agency, governmental entity, or governmental subdivision, or by a contractor hired by an employee of an agency, governmental entity, or governmental subdivision does not teach, advocate, act upon, or promote divisive concepts” (Committee on Judiciary, 2021, p. 1). On page 2 of the House File, they begin to delineate what they mean by “divisive topics,” one of which includes discussion of systemic inequalities. In short, HF 802 prohibits any discussion of topics that make someone feel uncomfortable or “any other form of psychological distress on account of that individual’s race or sex” (p. 3). My very stance on teaching is that we have to be uncomfortable to learn. Isn’t that what learning is all about: sitting in our discomfort and exploring it? 

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I struggle because I want to prepare my future teachers as much as possible for their eventual careers. I want them to do what they feel is right for their students, but how can I prepare them for this?

References

Committee on Judiciary. (2021, March 6). House File 802. 

Kim, J. (2023, January 22). Florida says AP class teachers critical race theory. Here’s what’s really in the course. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/01/22/1150259944/florida-rejects-ap-class-african-american-studies