It is critical that educators learn about the concept of implicit bias and contemplate any unconscious biases they may hold since Black students disproportionately experience punitive school disciplinary consequences and placement into programs for students with disabilities. Greenwald and colleagues' early (1998) research on implicit association…

This qualitative case study examined exit-credential papers from a teacher preparation program to explore how pre-service teachers discussed racial positionality in relation to teaching for social justice. Framed by a Critical Whiteness perspective, the pre-service teachers' papers revealed that out of the cohort of twenty-four, only seven White…

In response to increased accountability demands placed on teacher preparation programs across the United States, some programs are using standardized teacher performance assessments, such as edTPA. In our elementary teacher preparation program, a recent state mandate stipulated that teacher candidates had to successfully complete edTPA in order to…

Empathy, defined as both emotional and cognitive perspective-taking, is considered to be an important teacher disposition; however, limited research exists on the implementation of empathy alongside the experiential teaching practicum within alternative route to licensure (ARL) programs. The purpose of this study is to examine ARL teacher…

This exploratory case study (N=18) took place within a merged special education and elementary education teacher preparation program in which all coursework was co-taught by university faculty. Through interviews and focus groups, participants described their perceptions of the benefits of co-teaching; candidates reported participating in models…

I teach in a multiple subject credential program that requires all preservice teachers to complete a course specifically focused on arts curriculum and instruction. Based on my experiences in other credential programs throughout California, arts curriculum and instruction is often combined with another content area like social studies. My arts…

Seven weeks into the spring semester, we were learning what it means to build community in our online classes and then, our lives quickly and drastically changed. School districts shuttered their doors in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and K-12 teachers moved to distance learning. This was a challenging moment for our school systems and many…

Education is an act of love. One may argue however, that because it is such a personal act, it is difficult and nearly impossible to achieve it in an authentic manner beyond the face-to-face interaction of teacher and student. Yet, we now live in a time in which education has been transmitted to a virtual platform. This paper highlights how I…

With the advent of COVID-19 and classes moving online, future educators of Color (FEoC) in teacher education programs are susceptible to the same disparities in outcomes and retention that college students of Color experience. As a teacher educator of Color, I drew from "abolitionist teaching," "restorative practices," and…

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented upheaval of the traditional teaching context. Fortunately, disruptions can also catalyze innovations as they cause the field to re-examine its assumptions and practices. Re-thinking how we mentor pre-service and early-service teachers is one area that shows particular promise for improving…

This essay presents a case of collaborative learning and lesson design between general and special education teacher candidates through a synchronous online class during the COVID-19 pandemic. We propose a theoretical framework of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for inclusive history-social studies teaching and detail how we used the framework…

The Covid-19 pandemic has influenced all levels of education, including higher education. School closures have impacted teacher credentialing course work, research projects, assessments, and student teaching placements. The challenges currently facing teacher candidates necessitate a review of how we support their needs for connection, support,…

My first year as a tenure-track professor has been nothing short of a jaw-dropping experience. From navigating the social and political environment with colleagues and administrators, to building meaningful relationships with pre-service teachers, the COVID-19 pandemic and all its attendant challenges prompted me to examine common institutional…

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught supervisors of teacher candidates some critical lessons. From our time in quarantine, surfaced the disquisition of a focus on personal and professional work-life balance, creative problem solving in the home, and K-12 teacher candidate supervision. The necessity for self-care during the pandemic and in educators'…

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers must rely on technology to reach and teach their students who no longer sit in school classrooms. In so doing, chasms in the quality of engagement have become evident based on students' ability, ethnicity, and home language. We propose that co-teaching between a mentor teacher and a teacher candidate could…