Narrating normalcy: a critical autoethnographic analysis of the impact racial ideology can have on teaching

Abstract

I, like many White people, have been complicit in perpetuating a normalization of Whiteness. My early adherence to an ideology of colorblindness manifested in racial insensitivities that affected me in all contexts of my life. In this critical autoethnography, I use two tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy to analyze how these racial insensitivities affected my instructional and relational practices as a teacher. I do so in an effort to provide deeper understanding regarding the relationship between ideology and teaching. Implications to this work are aimed at providing ways to better support preservice and inservice teachers in designing racially-equitable teaching practices.

Keywords:

• Autoethnography
• Whiteness
• teacher education

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the reviewers of this manuscript for their continued poignant critiques of this work. Also, Dr. Roderick Carey for his early reading and powerful feedback, and Dr. Rich Milner for providing the space for me to write.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interestwas reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The process of my racial identity development was not linear and therefore not easily organized into years, however, these approximations might allow for easier interpretation. Even so, I recognize the oversimplification.

2 I acknowledge this term is problematic as it equates, “a lack of eyesight with a lack of knowing” (Annamma, Jackson & Morrison, 2017, p. 154), perpetuating a metaphor that holds persons with disabilities as embodying deficits. I choose to use the term here based on my parents’ usage when teaching me about racial morals as a youth. Its use also exemplifies the narcissistic outcomes of Whiteness as my parents (and myself) were ignorant to its negative connotations.

3 I use this term in connection with Leonardo’s (2012) work, who explained racialization is different than “racial identities” in that racialization holds an element of power connected to our White supremacist history in the US.

4 Somewhat ironically as a method meant to better engage “all learners”, the term “universal” can be considered another product of normalization toward Whiteness of which I was unaware.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jacob Bennett

Jacob Bennett taught high school social studies in Atlanta, GA and Nashville, T N. Central to his teaching philosophy was that learning best occurs when teachers and students share in trusting relationships. Currently, Jake is interesting in researching how teachers' ideological backgrounds can affect decisions of practice.