This paper presents the voices of thirteen pre- and in-service teachers to showcase their perspectives of culturally relevant pedagogy as a teaching framework. Positionality, critical consciousness, and cultural assets are used as foundations to explore social justice pedagogy. These new teachers discuss the challenges they face in making the…

This study presents the perspectives of a group of pre-service teacher candidates with a commitment to teach in urban public schools. Nineteen new teachers participated in this study and 14 of them identified as new teachers of Color. Their reflections on entering the teaching profession, teaching in urban schools, and qualities of good teaching…

Using a social justice orientation to teacher education and a sociocultural approach to learning, this exploratory study presents data from twenty pre-service urban teachers about their perceptions of and visions for teaching in urban schools. Findings reveal candidates' desires to care for and build relationships with urban youth as a foundation…

As a K-12 classroom teacher turned teacher educator, the author believes that it is imperative that teacher educators as university faculty strive to confront the educational inequities that exist in the public schools as a part of their vision for preparing today's teachers. By this, the author means that they commit to transforming the…