Dangerous Discourses in Teacher Education: Grappling with Uneasy Silences and Disturbing Dialogues in University Settings Jorge P. Osterling, Ph.D. Shelley Wong, Ed.D. George Mason University NAME 2005

Problem What role does social justice play in a teacher education program for predominantly White, middle-class students?

Research Site Some of our MME graduate students –Have never left their own neighborhoods or communities –Have developed a vision of education derived from a rather narrow experience of society –Have never examined their own privileged position Most of these students entered the program with a superficial understanding of multicultural education (cf. Sleeter & Grant’s “human relations” or “single group” approach; Kubota’s “liberal” multiculturalism) We hope to introduce them to a wider and more sensitive understanding of what multiculturalism is and can be. One that advocates social justice

Multiple Perspectives What teaching practices may help faculty broaden the horizons of pre-service teachers and raise their awareness of multiple perspectives?

Our Approach Bigler, E. (1999). American Conversations: Puerto Ricans, White Ethnics, and Multicultural Education. Bigler, E. & Collins, J. (1995). Dangerous Discourses: The Politics of Multicultural Literature in Community and Classroom. Nieto, S. (1999). The Light in Their Eyes: Creating Multicultural Learning Communities. “Dangerous Discourses” in Teacher Education.

Our Case Study We invited Melanie Bush to our campus to discuss with our students her 2004 book Breaking The Code of Good Intentions: Everyday Forms of Whiteness. What ensued was disturbing: –First, a long baffling silence, –Then, the hesitant introduction of rather prejudiced views seldom openly expressed on campus.

Student Samples (Please See Handouts)

Research Questions What are the students telling us? What are the hidden messages in the student responses? Why are they now telling us these things? How do we reach out to students who remain silent about race and whiteness during classroom dialogues? How do we respond to students who see critical theory/pedagogy as being too theoretical and not related to day-to-day life?

Discussion and Questions Jorge P. Osterling, Ph.D. – Shelley Wong, Ed.D. –

References Bigler, E. (1999). American Conversations: Puerto Ricans, White Ethnics, and Multicultural Education. Philadelphia: Temple University. Bigler, E. & Collins, J. (1995). Dangerous Discourses: The Politics of Multicultural Literature in Community and Classroom. Report Series 7(4). Albany, NY: The National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement. Retrieved November 2, 2005 from Bush, M.E.L. (2004). Breaking the Code of Good Intentions: Everyday Forms Of Whiteness. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Kubota, R. (2004). Critical multiculturalism and second language education. In B. Norton & K. Toohey (Eds.). Critical Pedagogies and Language Learning (pp ). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nieto, S. (1999). The Light in Their Eyes: Creating Multicultural Learning Communities. Sonia Nieto. New York: Teachers College Press.