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In my line of work as a teacher educator at a local university I often find the need to create a new spin on decades-long, doggedly-persistent problems that address school failure among minority students. My students will soon become part of the next generation of teachers, and old, tired theoretical explanations lack the power of persuasion. As the election cycle finally draws to an end, certain repetitive rhetoric remain consistently annoying and even problematic. There’s a way in which we can recreate spaces of productive dialogue for the new gen teachers. In this essay, I discuss two issues that shape the framework for addressing theory and practice in teacher education.

The persistent, negative verbosity against immigrants is increasingly concerning. I recognize the political ploys used by politicians to win favor among groups with same ideologically-minded ideas. But the spill-over effect is particularly troublesome since the deep level and immense scope of hatred that such discourse engenders seems unprecedented. The hateful, fear-inducing political speeches are considerably intensified in social media, and like clockwork, a single kernel of a spiteful idea turns into a deluge of racist, unimaginable hatred toward anyone or any group that even has a slight resemblance of having immigrant roots. We don’t need a laboratory to determine the hypothetical conditions of a theory of race relations in our society when we can experience the outcomes in real time. Instead, I lead my students to recognize how the macro-interactions in racial contexts can be and are reflected in schools where students of color are perceived as failures and labeled as such due to deceptive racial biases and practices.

On the other hand, I can turn attention to the uniqueness of their power as teachers in their efforts to address issues of race and identity in our society. Of course, young students of color, especially minority students learning English as their second language, are incapable of fully grasping the complex social, economic, political circumstances of their daily lives, but they’re well aware of their assigned societal positions of power. They listen to the hateful, racist disparagements in political speeches. These politicians are a powerful force that represent the worst fears and insecurities of children in our schools. But teachers have a greater influence then anyone else in power. This is how I frame a counter solution to a complex and alarming problem. As teachers, they (will) have the most powerful and influential voice in their students’ lives. What matters the most is that students understand that their teachers genuinely care about their general well-being, and expect them to know their strengths and needs, and understand that they can reach their ultimate educational goals and become successful much more than they will ever imagine. 

The messaging is clear: By believing in your students, they will succeed. It is crucial for teachers to understand the power they hold and use it to create a classroom, a microcosm of a greater society that is positive and inclusive for all students.