Community: The Missing Piece in Preparing Teacher Candidates for Future Urban Classrooms

ABSTRACT

Preparing successful teacher candidates in urban schools requires educator preparation programs to integrate the exploration of community and cultures into the curriculum. Understanding the importance of community, interpreting and analyzing cultural implications, and creating new perceptions and understandings of urban students are essential for new teachers to be successful in urban classrooms. This qualitative study was conducted within an educator preparation program at an urban-serving university located in the midwestern United States. The authors analyzed 280 electronic reflective journals written by 53 teacher candidates over a 2-year period to determine if the course influenced teacher candidates’ perspectives on urban issues. Implications for practice and recommendations for improvements include offering the course earlier in the program. Doing so would allow more time for teacher candidates to develop a deeper understanding and acquisition of the culturally sustaining abilities needed to create meaningful classroom communities for diverse learners.

KEYWORDS:

• Classroom communities
• community experiences
• culturally sustaining pedagogy
• educator preparation programs
• pre-service teachers

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dea Marx

Dea Marx is coordinator of field experience at University of Missouri - Kansas City. She received a Bachelor of Science from University of Missouri–Columbia and a Masters of Arts in Multicultural Education from Northern Arizona University.

Uzziel Pecina

Uzziel Pecina is a teaching assistant professor of education administration, PK12 Education Administration Graduate Program Coordinator at University of Missouri - Kansas City. He received a BA & MS from Kansas State University, and an EdD from University of Missouri - Columbia.