Education, Language and Sociology Research ISSN 2690-3644 (Print) ISSN 2690-3652 (Online) Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Original Paper A Genre-Literature Review Investigation: Improving Black & Brown Men Recruitment and Retention Rates in the Grow Your Own Program and College of Education Partners Sunni Ali1 1 Chicago, IL, USA A Research Executive Statement Paper Presented to the Grow Your Own Organization Received: February 15, 2021 Accepted: March 2, 2021 Online Published: March 17, 2021 doi:10.22158/elsr.v2n2p1 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/elsr.v2n2p1 Abstract Researchers for several years have investigated effective ways to increase the recruitment and retention rates of minority educators, specifically black-and-brown men. Without question, schools need this teaching population, particularly in urban public-school settings. Scholars assert that minority learners’ educational outcomes improve when they engage and interact with men of color (Burchinal, McCartney, Steinberg, Crosnoe, Friedman, McLoyd, & Pianta, 2011). Also, every student benefit from having more diversity in the classroom (Delpit, 2011; Foster, 2018). Researchers have indicated several effective ways to successfully recruit and transition these students from teaching programs into schoolhouses. Through qualitative and ethnographic data collection, scholars assert that effective intervention strategies and relational social and cultural connective approaches improve these teaching students’ chances of becoming effective classroom practitioners. The genre-literature review captures the importance of Grow Your Own and its partners, such as Northeastern Illinois, the University of Illinois at the Chicago Campus (UIC), and Chicago State University. The injection of responsive measures and approaches into their teaching programs will continue to advance men of color students’ pre-professional outcomes entering and succeeding in the teaching profession. 1. Problem Statement There remains a strong argument that having black and brown men as teachers improves the learning outcomes of minority students. Simply put, more diversity remains pertinent in classrooms (Wallace & Gagen, 2020; Gashman & Arroyo, 2014). As presented in this paper, critical literature reviews the 1 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 importance of developing responsive-and-relational practices to recruit and transition this population into schoolhouses. Scholars suggest that male teaching candidates of color receipt of culturally responsive-and-relational interconnections within teaching programs improve retention rates and nurture similar habits with their future students. Having more black-and-brown men demonstrating intellectual stewardship and social capital toward their students is suitable for all learners they will encounter (Burchinal, McCartney, Steinberg, Crosnoe, Friedman, McLoyd., & Pianta, 2011). A great deal of the genre-based research speaking for recruiting and retaining men of color in education focuses on targeted best practices and interventions. Scholars suggest creating initiatives that adopt practical interventions will increase black and brown men’s success in graduating and landing employment in schools that comprehend their teaching roles’ value (Washington, Mejias, & Burge, 2020; Walker, Goings, & Wilkerson, 2019). Just placing men of-color in teaching programs without multifaceted approaches does not guarantee their success rate transitioning into school domains that, on average, have a five-year retention rate with only about a 2% population of black-and-brown men teaching in schoolhouses (Walker, Goings, & Wilkerson, 2019; Singh, 2019). Institutionalizing revised methods with how men of color become recruited and retained remains critical if policyholders and school leaders deem it essential to have this population exist as educators and leaders in this field. Current research and critical literature are used on this topic to surface what meaningful strategies are necessary and pertinent to support black-and-brown men’s success in education. The research topic further diagnosed recruitment-and retention initiatives that advocate for an institutional paradigm shift with the way schools digest and engage this population to improve their role and status in education. Significant themes that surface deal with the importance of: (a) developing pipelines and networks within school districts and collegiate communities; (b) enacting targeted academic cohorts and bridge programs that nurture and sustain the success rate of black and brown men in the field of education; and (c) institutional male identity remapping-addressing the way schoolhouses relate and value the role of men of color. This topic’s research question is: What are some strategies to support Grow Your Own recruitment and college of education partners to increase black and brown male educators’ output into the public-school system? Ultimately, to improve black and brown men’s recruitment and retention rates to become public educators, institutional frameworks need to be revised to intervene, support, value, and incentivize these populations to work in the classroom. 2. Theoretical Framing Two primary theoretical constructs surfaced from the genre-based research, which was relational social capital and cultural responsiveness. Each theory indicates the usefulness of how to recruit and retain men of color in educational institutions. The relational social capital theory expresses how institutions and school organizations develop strong relationships with participants or students, which gives them a sense of belongingness, awareness, and 2 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 purpose of being relevant. The nature of high-quality relationships supports students’ active existence and behaviors in social constructs. The Grow Your Own qualitative research (2020) highlighted this theorem’s significance, suggesting that it remains pertinent for institutions to provide support systems such as mentoring to improve their academic and transitional outcomes. The study participants described engaging with instructors or practitioners who cared about them and offered numerous opportunities and interventions to achieve. As such, this made them feel good about learning and belonging in the classroom and program. They further claimed that it modeled the types of support and interventions they want to provide to their learners. Ultimately, responsive practices are critical for encouraging black-and-brown students to embrace the teaching profession and duplicate best practices. Culturally responsive practices also remain vital to align teaching and learning practices to engage black-and-brown teacher candidates. Researchers note how HBCU offers African American students a unique experience of a shared history that provides an environment of support and high expectations for academic success (Wallace & Gagen, 2020; Gashman & Arroyo, 2014). The majority of institutions demonstrating success with high graduation rates for students of color from teaching college programs apply culturally responsive approaches. Participants in the Grow Your Own Study (2020) further captured this theoretical framing’s usefulness, indicating how their arrival at college, particularly at predominantly white institutions, was often a culture shock. However, what helped them overcome this was having intrusive advisors and cultural advocates who cared about their success and promoted their well-being in their classes. Applying culturally responsive practices helps to diversify a curriculum to better engage and foster a supportive culture within teaching programs. 3. Pipeline Initiatives Developing pipeline initiatives and supportive interventions with schools to intake black and brown men as student teachers and educators would help recruit and promote this teaching population. There is a strong belief that this would successfully nurture, support, and encourage men of color to become public school teachers. A study conducted by Mejais and Burge (2020) reviewed that recruitment for black-and-brown males into education needs to start as early as high school or sooner to prepare them for becoming classroom teachers. Mejais and Burge explored a pre-college secondary approach to recruit men of color into S.T.E.M. programs, specifically computer science. The program successfully introduced black-and-brown men development of applying computer science and entrepreneurship by: (a) improving their perception of computer science and (b) efficacy-through success, participants’ confidence in the program flourished. Several students went on to major in computer science attending college. Majais and Burge detailed the effectiveness of the #WatchMeCode and Hidden Genius programs that modeled and named for students how this could look for them working in this field. Similarly, providing men of color with preservice teaching mentoring programs in high school, such as a teacher club, would nurture the young men’s enthusiasm to view the teaching practice as a viable field of 3 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 study. The use of a teacher club within the feeder schools that GYO, NEIU, UIC, and Chicago State have a relationship with would be an excellent recruitment tool to promote male intrigue into the college of education. Majais and Burge pointed out that significantly strengthening this approach requires men of color as practitioners and academic advisors. This increases the male high schoolers’ recruitment into teaching programs and promotes teaching a positive career path for male students of color. Woodson and Bristol (2020) further discussed in a qualitative and ethnographic study how enacting preservice teaching recruitment programs are necessary to develop and mentor men of color in this professional field. Their research examined that students of color, particularly males, will not see a real connection with understanding the field’s value without having models to represent the teaching profession. The authors believe having a corrective representation of male figures that counter racial discursive formations of what a male is and how they should act would debunk the “racially popularized viewpoint that black and brown boys are disengaged, disrespectful, unprepared, underperforming, and violent” (p. 295). Woodson and Bristol (2020) and Singh (2019) discuss how critical this is for school authority figures and Latino males who sometimes frame machismo with an effective disciplinarian and authority figure. A teacher club would emerge as restorative practices of re-engaging how males of color view effective teaching practices while providing targeted interventions and professional support mentoring this future teacher population. A Grow Your Own qualitative research investigation conducted by the author and Lopez (2020) reviewed this corrective representation issue, particularly for Latino males. They indicated that having an internal-mentoring component attaches a reflective element that encourages the participants to collaborate and learn. The participants strongly believed that they must understand and model gender-neutral speech for their male students. For them, male teachers have to dispel gender-roles stereotypes that contribute to a person embracing male toxicity. They would like to see more professional development opportunities in Grow Your Own for participants to learn about the dangers of male toxicity and homophobia. Additionally, research conducted by Signh (2018) discussed the importance of African American male students providing a steady flow of positive images supplied by the men of color within their classrooms and communities. Singh suggested that “Peer support is a source of motivation and can play a crucial role in program completion. A living and learning community for education majors is a viable option for retaining students in teacher preparation programs” (p. 301). Mentoring approaches streamlined between the college of education and secondary schools would promote teaching as a viable option for degree attainment, particularly with students identified as undeclared majors. Targeting black and brown men in high school to become teachers by setting up a teacher club and connecting the high school teacher-club to Grow Your Own and the College of Education would empower and strengthen this population’s recruitment efforts. Assigning each young male with a male teacher or professor and having activities with these young males would further improve their desires and commitments to work in education. 4 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 4. Bridge Program Developing sustainable and programmatic interventions within teacher college programs will edify black-and-brown men retention and employment rates into schoolhouses. Merging this construct into college education programs would effectively transition this population into schools that value their presence. Woodson and Bristol (2020) detail the significance of providing a nurturing and coaching environment within teaching programs to support this population extension into school domains. Their qualitative investigations professed the need for this preparatory system to strengthen their involvement with student organizations on campus, such as fraternities while building on relationships with existing educational institutions off-campus to empower men of color entry and transition into the academic profession. The enactment of teacher bridge programs would continue to empower existing mentoring programs for candidates in the College of Education and Grow Your Own such as the: (a) Call Me Mister at UIC, (b) Former President Barack Obama’s Brother’s Keeper, and (c) Men of Color at NEIU. Aligning these support programs to foundations, fraternal organizations, and educational associations remains critical to recruiting men of color into the teaching profession. Such an initiative would also offer a network of sustainable academic support-services, like testing, to positively increase black-and-brown teacher transition rates. More than anything else, these programs require expansion into the schoolhouses and college teaching programs. Wallace and Gagen (2020) explored the impact of connecting teacher test-prep programs on mentor programs. They asserted having an incentivized test-prep program that pays for a few of the exams, particularly the entry and specialized skill tests, would promote and reward black-and-brown men for becoming a part of their college of education programs. Streamlining supportive interventions with schools that intake this population of educators would advance their professional navigation and tenure. Wallace and Gagen continue this conversation asserting, With tuition assistance as a caveat, African American males can be attracted to teaching as a profession if there is the possibility of leaving with a degree and minimal or no debt. These funding sources must be comprehensive and varied. Although grants from federal and state governments are an option, relationship building with foundations, fraternal organizations, and educational associations is critical to diversify sources for scholarships (p. 420). Providing financial assistance, similar to what Grow Your Own continues to practice, encourages men of color to enter the teaching workforce where student-loans will not exist as a debt burden. In some ways, this would appear like a terrific marketing opportunity and strategy for college education programs to recruit black-and-brown men. Singh (2019) furthers this conversation of promoting men of color into education. He believes establishing incentive-based pay-scales, student loan-forgiveness, and quality guaranteed job placement 5 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 improve more men of color entering the profession. However, it remains critical to transition them into a school district or specific schools that demonstrate an effective retention rate for employing African American and Latinx populations. Moreover, that provides: ○ Quality professional development support systems and interventions to support and advance black and brown employees; ○ Culturally responsive frameworks that embrace and qualify diversity with the potential for growth and professional expansion. For Singh, promulgating quality bridge programs and collaborating with existing school programs and organizations with a positive track record is essential to ensure this population’s success in education. As well, Walker, Goings, Wilkerson (2019) believe that teacher programs’ recruitment and retention plans must: ○ Develop a better understanding of the existing campus culture for men of color and how the school will best support them; ○ Provide guidance, encouragement, and opportunities to succeed in existing frameworks; ○ Provide male mentors with effective classroom management and instructional delivery techniques to carry into the classroom environment during their practicum and student teaching experiences. More positive role models for minority teachers serve as a motivation for earning their teaching credentials. Dinkins and Thomas’s (2016) qualitative study asserted that if schools are committed to intentionally increasing black-and-brown men in the classroom, they must provide financial support and scholarship incentives. As their study mentions, For many African American students without the benefit of college scholarships and grants to cover the costs of tuition, housing, textbooks, and teacher licensure fees, four years or more of accumulated student loan debt becomes overwhelming on a teaching salary. The participants in this study expressed considerable concern for the rising costs of college tuition while teachers’ wages remained stagnant around the country. Although teachers recognize that entering teaching will not allow them to become rich, there is a desire to live comfortably (p. 27). Providing financial support and incentives remains critical to recruit and retain men of color in education. Author and Lopez’s Grow Your Own qualitative investigation (2020) further advanced the notion that economic challenges emerged as a hindrance and problem for Grow Your Own students to pay for their education. Many Grow Your Own scholars are hesitant to take out financial aid loans to assist their enrollment and school completion because they do not want to incur the debt. A participant described how financial difficulties were a factor in deciding whether or not to enter a teacher preparation program, stating: “I think the process of applying to different schools was some of the other schools that, say the Saint James University of Chicago I applied. I think Concordia also, I was going to apply to but their 6 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 tuition rates.” Paying for college serves as a deterrent and problematic for participants to continue their schooling as they financially struggle. At the same time, they talked about how much they are thankful for Grow Your Own helping them acquire a scholarship to help pay for their college financial expenses to avoid taking out a student loan. Based on these findings, the researcher strongly encourages developing a black-and-brown male cohort at Northeastern, the University of Illinois at Chicago Campus, and Chicago State obtained from Grow Your Own. The cohort would incorporate best practice strategies and financial incentives to retain and graduate students from their respective programs while conducting comparative research and study analysis to traditional students in the college of education to increase retention and transition rates. Furthermore, the researcher recommends Grow Your Own utilize an alumni delegation, graduates who are educators, return to teach a few strategies to model, support, and promote student success in their programs and within Grow Your Own. The Grow Your Own alumni delegation will meet quarterly with support staff and administration to discuss and review the program’s strategies to recruit and strengthen graduation outputs. 5. Institutional Male Identity Remapping How schools view black and brown men to increase retention beyond the 5-years retention rate exist as an essential turning point (Author, 2020; Woodson & Bristol, 2020). As research suggests, retooling and revitalizing how schools incorporate black-and-brown men as intellectual practitioners determine their professional retention. In other words, when an educator feels valued and deemed an essential contributor to a school’s success and culture, they have a propensity to want to continue to work in the field and give back to their profession as much as possible (Ali, 2019). Unfortunately, as the literature reveals from Singh (2019), Woodson, and Bristol (2020), far too many schoolhouses view black-and-brown men as disciplinarians rather than intellectual stewards of their profession. Singh argues that it remains critical for school leadership to push back or apply countering racial discursive formations to utilize this population in the teaching field better. Indeed, a “cultural cookie-cutter” approach to how males’ discipline or manage their classrooms requires rebuttal, especially as it relates to men of color “getting the children who look like them to behave properly.” Singh reasserts this position by stating, “Heteropatriarchal assumptions require a constant denouncement of how black and brown masculine identity qualifies them as the primary disciplinarians” (p. 301). Even further, every male may not be heterosexual, which suggests that if they are not, why should they abide by a “male toxic” trope of managing students in the classroom. Singh continues to articulate this perspective suggesting that I define corrective representation as the discursive creation of the ideal male of color teacher subject. This discursive formation seeks to homogenize and propagate an essentialist notion of the male of color teacher, framing the cultural work done in the 7 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 classroom as always in relation to the imagined deficits in the boys of color he is delegated to control and discipline (p. 299). Far too many black-and-brown male educators become employed to “discipline the children” who look like them instead of hiring them as intellectual practitioners. As such, their adherence to this perceived role inevitably steers them away from the profession. Gender-normed constructs remain particularly damaging to Latino boys, who often culturally stereotype and homogenize men’s roles in their educational lives (Singh, 2019). As a result, scholars discuss the importance of disarming gender norming (Singh, 2018; Bryan & Browder, 2013; Jupp & Slattery, 2011). Precisely, Latino male teachers must navigate and diffuse cultural pressures surrounding Latino masculinity’s enactments. In his research, Singh (2019) described how a Latino teacher, Mr. V, struggled to deliver and portray machismo in the classroom toward his Latino scholars. Mr. V received chastisement on several occasions in front of his students and peers because of his perceived inability to properly discipline Latino boys. Mr. V believed that had he employed more “policing” habits toward his students, it indeed would have promoted more positive responses from administrators and professional colleagues about his teaching practice. In other words, teachers of color are expected to be a certain kind of Black or Latino and professionally punished if they fail to abide by such norming. The author and Lopez (2020), in their Grow Your Own qualitative study, diagnosed this same occurrence as it relates to how Latino teaching students perceived their role in the classroom. Participants asserted that in terms of their gender roles, teacher preparation programs, and the schoolhouses they have either observed or performed, their practicum is primarily women. At times, they felt either isolated because of this or believed they had to redefine their masculinity. Thereby, it became imperative for them to balance positive modeling while debunking corrective representation notions tied explicitly to their students. One of the participants described this gender norming struggle, stating: I feel like I have to speak in a language that everyone can access, but there’s a lot lost in translation in speaking that language. Because they don’t know your experience, so you have to really elongate it. I just feel like a lot of times my clarity, especially when I’m making comments in class, I just feel like I lose my train of thought or I’m not really sure what I’m saying because I realize, man, I have to essentially... There are many times when I have to give a life story or a story or something that I experienced to kind of make my point across because it’s not going to say in the book (p. 11). The way men of color address their male identity in the schoolhouse, even with how they communicate to their peers and students, is a constant reflection and reminder of their teaching roles. Also, they must remain clear about how to debunk heteropatriarchal positions when teaching black and brown boys. Indeed, it remains too hard to abide by gender tropes because it devalues these teachers’ essential role as classroom educators (Young & Young, 2020). As the scholars Young and Young (2020) stated, “19.35 percent of Black male teachers saw themselves as role models, change agents or general educators, especially as it relates to how they are perceived and understood in schoolhouses (p. 341). Such data 8 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 suggest that gender stigma frames how and why schools ultimately hire black-and-brown men and view themselves in this field. Young and Young go on to mention in their study: ● There are far fewer calls for Black males to teach in suburban schools or to teach in programs that traditionally serve white students; ● Examination of over 300 elementary school job applications revealed that male applicants were rated as more likely to be gay, considered a more significant safety threat, and perceived less likable (but not less hirable) than their female peers; ● The negative gender stigmas associated with male teachers are most noticeable in the early grades. Figure 1. Graphic Organizer Displaying the Grow Your Own and Its Partners Initiatives to Advance the Recruitment and Retention Rates for Black-and-Brown Teaching Candidates Diffusing these discursive racialized and gender archetypes remains vital to shift how schools view black-and-brown men, specifically when they employ them. Without critiquing and redirecting how school systems view this teaching population, fewer educators will stick around beyond 5-years (Singh, 2019; Woodson & Bristol, 2020). This means schools must build capacity with this population, which will counter racial discursive formations. Also, infuse positive balancing models to debunk corrective representation notions. Grow Your Own, and their collegiate partners need to collaborate with schools and districts that mean well and have a good track record of employing men of color that nurture and promote their pedagogical progress, tenure, and intellectual impact on the profession. Just sending black-and-brown men to district Grow Your Own Pipeline Initiatives Institutional Paradigm Shift Bridge Program 9 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 schools hoping they will employ mentoring approaches, culturally responsive practices, and systems that bolster their role as social agents and advocates is not enough. Specific and targeted interventions and professional support that mentor this teacher population will advance the way schools view black and brown men as pedagogical practitioners and intellectual advocates versus primary disciplinarians. Woodson and Bristol (2020) assert that the most effective way to counter this deficit model is to apply a critical borderlands pedagogy. A philosophical approach that shifts hegemonic power by critiquing internal and traditional structures and reframes how schools function employing black and brown populations. The author (2021) further believes schools need to modify the evaluation process, the Danielson Framework, which often restricts first to third-year teachers from obtaining tenure in a school district. As the author declares, Mainly, the first three years of an educator’s life exist under extreme pressures to quickly master their industry’s professional standards to obtain tenure. How an educator manages their classroom while also buttressing student outcomes on standardized benchmarks often determine their professional longevity in education. Greater scrutiny and micromanaging exist for educators evaluated by a scripted formula and rubric to assess their teaching effectiveness (p. 7). Without applying measurable criteria and best practice benchmarks that support this teaching population tenure, too many of them will burn out and not impact the profession. How school districts choose to modify their evaluation protocols and terminate the “old way of doing things” addressing and working with this population must occur if schools are serious about having black-and-brown men in their classrooms. 6. Summary The way society and schoolhouses view black-and-brown men require drastic changes to buttress this population into classrooms. Fostering necessary restructuring to shift how schools perceive black and brown males while promoting interventions that strengthen their pedagogical skills remains urgent to increase their school retention rates beyond 5-years. Mentoring-based initiatives that start as early as high school with financial incentives would restore how black and brown men perceive education and retain employment. Simply pushing this population through teacher programs is not enough to ensure they will impact the students they will encounter nor the profession they decided to become employed. Institutional shifting must adopt cultural paradigms in schools that comprehend black and brown men as practitioners and not primarily disciplinarians. As Dickins and Thomas (2016) profess, “If schools only envision these teachers’ roles as one dimensional, they run the risk of enclosing and delimiting their pedagogical potential” (p. 34). Grow Your Own should collaborate with its college of education associates and build connections and capacity with school districts that believe in these same mission statements to nurture, affirm, and recognize the necessity of this population existing in schoolhouses. 10 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 References Author. (February 24, 2021). Dissed: The removal of Black educators from the American schoolhouse. World Journal of Social Science Research, 8(1). http://www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/wjssr/article/view/3722 Author. (June 15, 2020). Redefining exceptionalism: Removing superhero language from Education. Journal of Education and Culture Studies, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.22158/jecs.v4n3p1 Author, & Lopez, A. (August, 2020). A qualitative investigation: Black & brown men retention and recruitment in the Grow Your Own Program and partners Colleges of Education and universities. A Research Executive Statement Paper Presented to the Grow Your Own Organization (pp. 1-43). Bryan, N., & Browder, J. K. (Fall 2013). Are you Sure You Know What You Are Doing? The lived experiences of an African American Male kindergarten teacher. Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning, 3(3), 142-158. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1063219 Bryk, A., Gomez, L., & Grunow, A. (2011). Getting ideas into action: Building networked improvement communities. Carnegie Foundation for the advancement of teaching. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1576-9_7 Bristol, T. J., & Mentor, M. (2018). Policing and teaching: The positioning of Black male teachers as agents in the universal carceral apparatus. The Urban Review, 50(2), 218-234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-018-0447-z Burchinal, M., McCartney, K., Steinberg, L., Crosnoe, R., Friedman, S. L., McLoyd., V., & Pianta, R. (2011). Examining the black-white achievement gap among low-income children using the NICHD study of early child care and youth development. Child Development, 82, 1404-1420. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01620.x Delpit, L. (2011). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers for African American children. San-Franciso: Jossy Bass. Dinkins, E., & Thomas, K. (2016). Black teachers matter: Qualitative study of factors influencing African American candidates success in a teacher preparation program. AILACTE Journal, 13(1), 23-40. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1130324 Foster, M. (2018). Black teachers on teaching. New York: The New Press. Gasman, M., & Arroyo, A. (November 2014). An HBCU-based educational approach for black college student success: Toward a framework with implications for all institutions. American Journal of Education, 121(1), 57-85. https://doi.org/10.1086/678112 Jackson, R. I. (2006). Scripting the black masculine body: Identity, discourse, and racial politics in popular media. Albany, NY, U.S.A.: State University of New York Press. Jupp, J. C., & Slattery, P. (December 19, 2011). Becoming Teachers of Inner-City Students: Identification Creativity and Curriculum Wisdom of Committed White Male Teachers. Urban Education, 47(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085911427737 11 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://doi.org/10.22158/jecs.v4n3p1 https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1063219 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1576-9_7 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-018-0447-z https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01620.x https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1130324 https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1372&context=gse_pubs https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1372&context=gse_pubs https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1372&context=gse_pubs https://doi.org/10.1086/678112 https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085911427737 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 Singh, M. V. (2018). Role models without guarantees: Corrective representations and the cultural politics of a Latino male teacher in the borderlands. Race, Ethnicity, and Education, 21(3), 288-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2017.1395330 Singh, M. V. (January 7, 2019). Refusing the performance: Disrupting popular discourses surrounding Latino male teachers and the possibility of disidentification. Educational Studies: A Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, 28-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131946.2018.1545654 Skelton, C. (2003). Male primary teachers and perceptions of masculinity. Educational Review, 55(2), 195. https://doi.org/10.1080/0013191032000072227 Wallace, D. L., & Gagen, L. M. (2020). African American males’ decisions to teach: Barriers, motivations, and supports necessary for completing a teacher preparation program. Education and Urban Society, 52(3), 415-432. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124519846294 Walker, L. J., Goings, R. B., & Wilkerson, R. D. (2019). The role school administrators play in creating healthy ecosystems for black male preservice teachers. Educational Foundations, 32. Warren, C. A. (2020). Meeting myself: Race-gender oppression and a genre study of Black men teachers’ interactions with Black boys. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(3), 367-391. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1663982 Washington, G., Mejias, M., & Burge, L. (2020). Understanding how to engage black high school boys in computer science through tech innovation and entrepreneurship. Computing in science & engineering. https://doi.org/10.1109/RESPECT46404.2019.8985869 Woodson, A. N., & Bristol, T. J. (2020). Male teachers of color: Charting a new landscape for educational research. Race, ethnicity, and education, 23(3), 281-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1663912 Young, J., & Young, J. (2020). The Black male teacher: A 10-year content analysis of empirical research. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(3), 327-344. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1663971 Appendix—Annotated Bibliography Title: Wallace, D. L., & Gagen, L. M. (2020). African American Males’ Decisions to Teach: Barriers, Motivations, and Supports Necessary for Completing a Teacher Preparation Program. Education and Urban Society, 52(3), 415-432. Theory: ● Social Learning Theory (modeling) ● Efficacy and cultural affirmation ● Responsive Practices ● Cultural Connectivity 12 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2017.1395330 https://doi.org/10.1080/00131946.2018.1545654 https://doi.org/10.1080/0013191032000072227 https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124519846294 https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1663982 https://doi.org/10.1109/RESPECT46404.2019.8985869 https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1663912 https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1663971 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 Method: The stories addressing the motivations and support utilized by African American males to overcome negative societal perceptions and racist stereotypes are absent from the data: (a) Eleven of the 12 questionnaire respondents completed the consent form and participated in the structured interview process- (b) The key themes were financial, cultural, and social aspects related to the research questions that addressed the barriers, motivations, or supports affecting the completion of a teacher preparation program for African American male educators. (c) Most of the participants taught at the secondary level, with four in special education, two in mathematics, one in science, one in career and technical education, one in physical education and health, and one in Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC). The single elementary-level educator taught in a prekindergarten classroom setting. Themes: Recruitment and retention plan with intervention strategies support students’ growth and development, which includes: (a) developing a better understanding of the existing campus culture; (a) Participants noted that professors took the time to provide guidance, encouragement, and opportunities for initial licensure examination preparation ○ Just as positive reinforcement and encouragement are factors in the K-12 classroom positively impacting academic achievement, professors who create positive classroom environments at the university level enable students to succeed. ○ Students in a teacher preparation program also learn from the classroom management and instructional delivery techniques utilized by course instructors, which they carry into the classroom environment during their practicum and student teaching experiences. ○ Each of the participants noted the potential to serve as a positive role model for African American youth as a motivation for earning their 13 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 teaching credentials. ○ African American male students must be provided with a steady flow of positive images supplied by the men of color within their classrooms and communities. (b) Second, teacher education professors need to strengthen their involvement with student organizations on campus to promote teaching as a viable option for degree attainment, particularly with students identified as undeclared majors. (c) With tuition assistance as a caveat, African American males can be attracted to teaching as a profession if there is the possibility of leaving with a degree and minimal or no debt. These funding sources must be comprehensive and varied. Although grants from federal and state governments are an option, relationship building with foundations, fraternal organizations, and educational associations is critical to diversify sources for scholarships. (d) Peer support is a source of motivation and can play a crucial role in program completion. A living and learning community for education majors is a viable option for retaining students in teacher preparation programs. Barrier(s): ○ Although it was of no surprise to the research team, teacher licensure examinations are a significant barrier to teacher preparation program completion. Only three of the 11 participants passed all required tests on their first attempt. All participants felt these examinations needed to be addressed early in the program, and subject area licensure examination content needs to be routinely emphasized in relevant courses. ○ For many African American students without the benefit of college scholarships and grants to cover the costs of tuition, housing, textbooks, and teacher licensure fees, four years or more of accumulated student loan debt becomes overwhelming on a teaching salary. The participants in this study expressed considerable concern for the rising costs of college tuition while teachers’ wages remained stagnant around the country. Although teachers recognize that entering teaching is not going to allow them to become rich, there is a desire to live comfortably. Quotes: ○ Gasman and Arroyo (2014) note that an HBCU offers African American students a unique experience supported by a shared history that provides 14 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0013124519846294 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 an environment of support along with high expectations for academic success that are not found at the majority of institutions; However, the majority of institutions have demonstrated success with high graduation rates for students of color, which include African American males prestigious universities such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Dartmouth, University of Virginia, Duke, and Georgetown boast graduation rates of African American students at a rate of 85% or better. These institutions have transparent, well-defined recruitment and retention plans that have years of demonstrated success. These plans include an orientation program that provides an opportunity for students of color to develop a ○ “We had what you would call the cream of the crop. So, you could do presentations, we had guest speakers, and there was always a mental stimulation factor. You looked forward to going to class and sharing and speaking, and practicing your future craft.” ○ “Participant 004 shared an encounter with one of his professors that provided him with the motivation to complete his degree. “It was Education 101 or something like that, and he kind of pressed the importance of a good teacher.” ○ As Shook (2012) noted, positive student-teacher relationships enhance students’ learning experience through a willingness to focus on instruction and a reduction in off-task behaviors during the delivery of education. ○ Participant 009 emphatically stated, “You’re a role model, and you’re here to set them straight. As an African American male, to me, you have to embrace the role model issue. Title: Michael V. Singh’s Refusing the Performance: Disrupting Popular Discourses Surrounding Latino Male Teachers and the Possibility of Disidentification Theory: Social Learning Theory (modeling), affirmation, efficacy, cultural connectivity 15 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0013124519846294 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 Method: Ethnographic data collection was done primarily through participant observations, conversational interviews, and two rounds of formal interviews. Participant observations lasted for one-and-a-half years, beginning in the second semester of the 2014-2015 school year and extended through the entirety of the next school year. Site visits occurred once a week. At the beginning of the study, I introduced myself to the students of Chamacos as an educational researcher from UC Berkeley and informed the boys that I would like to observe their relationship with Mr. O and each other. ● Over the course of my study, 23 students participated in Chamacos, with several more becoming informal attendees. Students ranged from sixth to eighth grade, and all identified as boys. Although the term Latino was used by the administration, the boys generally preferred to identify themselves as Mexican (19 boys being of Mexican descent or from Mexico). Two boys identified themselves as “half Black, half Mexican,” with the remaining boys identifying as Salvadorian or “half Mexican, half Salvadorian.” ● I interviewed 12 students, eight of them once and four twice (totaling 16 interviews). All interviews took place in an empty classroom after school and lasted between 15 and 40 min. I interviewed Mr. Orozco three times. These interviews took place in his empty classroom, as well as a local café. They ranged from 1 to 2 hr. After our initial interview, which covered Mr. Orozco’s life history, our following interviews allowed me to bring up patterns and themes emerging from my data. Conversational interviews were also conducted with various school and afterschool staff members. Themes: A. Explore the ways one Latino male teacher navigates cultural pressures surrounding the enactment of Latino masculinity (The importance of innate gender norming, intentional) ○ achievement of gendered subjects in the classroom ○ ways the recruitment of male teachers of color can have a positive impact on the educational 16 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 achievement of boys of color ○ schools’ function as cultural sites that reproduce racialized masculinities 1. This process’s primary agents were other staff members and teachers, who often imagined or called for a Latino male teacher to perform an authoritative, disciplined, and tough-love persona for the Latino boys on campus. 2. Analysis of voice, movement, dress, and other commonly gendered identifiers (intentional use of the body among Latino male teachers through an enacting of self that moves inside and outside of dominant ideologies, troubling essentialist notions of identity and creating space for new identities to emerge. 3. the boys projected idealized, patriarchal male qualities that they attributed to our physical capabilities or imagined social, and at times sexual, power in our everyday lives 4. The importance of disidentification is crucial, which counters stereotypes and projects positive imagery of males through literature and other forms of pedagogy. B. Male bonding is essential: maleness is something continually being worked on and accomplished throughout one’s life and counters the hegemonic configuration that for males to be dominant, women must be subjected to an inferior status (binary notion)-culturally machisa stereotypes; compulsory heterosexual is current; schooling attempts to constrain Latino boys’ gender imaginaries. Also, it is essential to the problematization of gendered expectations as a recent but growing concern. ● Modeling is critical for Latino boys to direct and guide their perspectives-“other fathers.” 17 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 ● Successfully caring for men of color on campus is critical for their success (efficacy) ● The importance of creating meaning and purpose is critical. D. A male bodily presence matters; The importance of the mentor-teacher role matters; Embraces normative behavior and considers people weird who do not personify traditional male behaviors. E. Intervene and advocate on behalf of the boys are too often seen or viewed as requiring more disciplining and scrutinizing- the “bad boy persona” carries a lot of weight and heaviness on black and brown males steeped in stereotypes and racist notions. F. Considers non-confirmed behavior as weird- ● Dress ● Speech ● Showing affection ● Alienation in the school culture for Latino and Black males. ● “Heteropatriarchal assumptions” regarding Black men and boys in teacher-recruitment initiatives result in the assumption that “the racial identity, gendered identity, and sex category of an individual who is Black and male are naturally cohesive, and result in certain ways of thinking, doing, and being in the social world” (p. 58). This assumption about Black male identity can discourage Black men who are gay, transgender, or genderqueer from entering the teaching profession. ○ Being seen as the authoritative figure in control and using the body as prowess to dictate conformity is challenging and problematic for male educators who do not buy into this social construct. Quotes: ● “Mora finds this consistent with other studies of masculinity (see Pasco, 2011); however, he adds that the boys in his study often blended Latinx culturally masculine signifiers with US-based hegemonic masculinity to create a masculinity 18 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131946.2018.1545654?scroll=top&needAccess=true www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 specific to racialized Latino men in the United States.” ● Some students perceived these teachers as “other fathers,” who were able to provide a “combination of tough love, discipline, and caring,” which “proved to be a winning combination” for students (p. 2517). ● The boys often ritualized physical contests among one another in hopes of imitating popular representations of athletic and robust masculinity and frequently enjoyed touching their newly forming bicep muscles and shadow boxing with one another. ● As Juana María Rodríguez (2014) highlights, thinking and theorizing the power of gesture can “animate how bodies move in the world,” revealing the ways we create meaning in ways that are “always already infused with cultural models of knowing” (p. 2). Title: Woodson, A. N., & Bristol, T. J. (2020). Male teachers of color: charting a new landscape for educational research. Theory: (a) Culturally responsive; (b) heteronormative assumptions Research Question: 1. How do critical considerations of the intersection of race, gender, and profession inform the future of teacher education? 2. What does it mean to be ‘male’ or ‘of color’ in the context of the teaching profession? 3. What are the aims of racial and ethnic diversity in the field of education? Method: ● Qualitative and ethnographic interviewing of black males; provided data sets about the impact of male teachers of color and their school-based experiences. Themes: (a) Inadequate recruitment and retention efforts in teacher education programs (Woodson and Pabon 2016); and poor professional support and limited mentoring for this 19 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13613324.2019.1663912?scroll=top&needAccess=true www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 population: (b) three performance styles enacted by the teachers (enforcer, negotiator, and playful)-Brown (2009); (c) heteronormative assumptions- Black male students are often stereotyped as fatherless troublemakers and underachievers (Jackson, Sealey-Ruiz, and Watson 2013). Black male teachers are often expected to perform as father figures, meet dominant standards of exemplary citizenship, and overachieve as professionals to push back on expectations associated with their race and gender; (d) Exploring school organizational context influences these teachers’ school-based experiences (e) First, male teachers of color have diverse racial, cultural, and gendered backgrounds; (f) intersections of social identities for male teachers of color, and the relationship between social identity and struggles for a political and professional agency. The authors address race and racial inequality in education and provide robust theoretical findings; (g) male teachers of color’s perceptions of and partnerships with colleagues of other genders; their sexual and gendered identities and performances; and how they embrace, reject or negotiate the expectation of performing as a role model in the classroom. (h) Wallace’s research in London suggested the ‘diversity trap’ that ensnares and limits the roles Black men teachers can enact in their classrooms in the United Kingdom’s largest urban center, London; Critical Race Theory explores how Black veteran teachers mentor novice, Latinx male teachers, to design equitable learning environments for their students. Quotes: Title: Singh, M. V. (2018). Role models without guarantees: corrective representations and a Latino male teacher’s 20 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13613324.2019.1663912?scroll=top&needAccess=true www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 cultural politics in the borderlands. Race, ethnicity, and education, 21(3), 288-305. Theory: Critical Race Theory- counter corrective representation; Countering the deficit model. Research Questions: ● What work do we perform when we step on campus, and in the service for who? ● Does our ‘manly’ performance as educators replace structural critique for patriarchal solutions? ● How do we navigate our own identities in a way that functions to not correct or fix Latino boys but rather opens the signifier Latino, or Latinx, to more liberatory possibilities for all communities? Method: Qualitative-ethnographic case study- one round of interviews was conducted during each of the two school years of the research. Twelve students were interviewed at least once, with four of them having follow-up interviews in the second school year. Student interviews took place in an empty classroom of EBMS. They were semi-structured and generally lasted 30 minutes each. 1. ‘Mexican,’ with 19 boys being from Mexico or of Mexican descent. 2. Two students referred to themselves as ‘half Black, half Mexican,’ with the remaining boys identifying as Salvadorian or ‘half Mexican, half Salvadorian.’ Conducted the study inside the school, EMBS in San Francisco, California that was a highly diverse student population (2% Latino; 29% Black; 22% Asian; 13% White) in a total student population of 800 The study lasted for 15-months 21 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 Themes: ● Corrective representations are a misguided behavioral assumption of black and brown men-confining their identity and locate boys of color’s problem within their actions. Yet, the need for cultural representation remains critical in schoolhouses- The importance of countering racial discursive formations while balancing positive modeling is complicated, specifically for Latino Males who resist the notions in schools with how “a man should act or portray themselves.” ● Debunking the racially popularized viewpoint that black and brown boys are ‘disengaged, disrespectful, unprepared, underperforming, and violent’ in schools (Harper and Williams 2014, 5)- Male behaviorism becomes rooted in an archetype, which varies and constrains black and brown men to interpret and make sense of. Reviews President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Program” and how it is framed or tied to corrective representation- correcting and supporting damaged boys ● The cultural meanings of race remains a struggle in schools with how males are evaluated and seen -floating signifier - ( meaning race does not signify one innate identity, but rather is flexible and moves to signal different denotations in changing fields of representation). Racial and cultural constructs vary in institutions toward men. ● Black and brown men inside schools are too often projected as authoritarian figures, further perpetuating narrow understandings of Black masculinity and playing into the problematic assumption that Black boys do 22 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13613324.2017.1395330 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 not do well in schools because of the absence of a strong male figure in their lives. ● Latino male teachers, in the study at EMDS often embodied corrective representation, which was expected- The challenges of corrective embodiment at EMDS- When the boys did well, it was perceived as a natural success connected to the presence of the Latino teacher, Mr. Vera, When they were in trouble it was a shortcoming of Latinos United. ● The presumptive is- the black or brown male will be either lax with discipline or an overly strong authoritative figure (corrective and disciplinarians). Mr. Vera, in the study at EMDS, was often tardy to school and was presumed to not live up to the normed corrective embodiment model- “I feel like there were a few teachers who thought I would be more strict than I am when I first got here, probably the students too. But it’s like, I know sometimes I need to be more strict with the boys, but that’s just not how I am. ● Mr. Vera’s appearance referencing relax attire, a shaved head, and faded tattoos in old English letters. This exterior, described as stereotypically ‘hard’ by the students, clashed both with their imagination of what Latino male teacher would look like, but also with their behavioral expectations- That is, there is an underlying assumption that the problems of communities of color ‘are problems because the men are not appropriately socialized to be the kind of men who are responsible for families and communities’ 23 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 (Crenshaw 2016). ● “The notion of borderland”-those thinking from the borderlands recreate identity, adapting to the needs of their situations learned through survival. In education, what a critical borderlands pedagogy offers is an intellectual tradition dedicated to a critical analysis of hegemonic power and structure, as well as an openness of identity and a critique of universalist solutions (Elenes 1997) Quotes: “white dominance of the apparatuses of racial representation is inherently connected to the control of the means of production”- ● “Corrective representations are not critical of historical and structural racism and assume a damaged and problematic male student of color by asking male teachers of color to represent a neoliberal multicultural embodiment of what students are not.” ● “Corrective representations overly idealize the male of color teacher while obscuring racist school structures by reifying neoliberal multicultural tenets of diversity, individual work ethic, and excellence. Corrective representations have the racist consequence of locating the problem of the racial achievement gaps on the individual student, rather than systematic marginalization.” ● “When they’re in trouble, people come to me and say ‘one of your boys’ did this, or ‘did 24 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13613324.2017.1395330 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 you hear your boys did that.’ I’m like, you know those students are with you more hours of the week than they’re with me? But once they join the group, they are ‘my boys.” Title: Washington, G., Mejias, M., & Burge, L. (2020). Understanding how to Engage Black HS boys in Computer Science Through Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Computing in Science & Engineering. Theory: Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) Research Questions: Method: 1. Improved perception of CS among black male high school students; 2. It increased participants’ confidence of participants and; 3 and increased the number of students who want to major in CS in college. Themes: 1. Improved perception of CS among black male high school students; 2. It has increased participants’ confidence in participants and; 3 and increased the number of students who want to major in CS in college. ____________________________________ ● The presence of role models of the same gender and ethnicity are crucial to engaging students; ● Teachers of color increase the self-worth of students of color and help black male students navigate the pitfalls of high school; ● Black male CS role models can help black HSboys see themselves in professional roles and debunk stereotypes about what a professional tech looks like and what they do as computer scientists. Enacted a #WatchMeCode program that modeled and detailed how this could look was 25 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 inspirational for learners; events or activities that expose them to coding, other computer science elements, and tech innovation and entrepreneurship. Also, students are encouraged to pursue CS in college. The Hidden Genius program is an initiative that teaches coding and computational thinking skills to black male students in Oakland, California; ● Socially and culturally relevant pedagogy has helped students relate to a topic and create a more in-depth understanding. ● Design Thinking was a skilled activity introduced that focused the students on producing and research their findings critically. They also learned to provide constructive criticism to other groups about the layout and design of their projects. ● Surprisingly, after completing the program, all the participants (20 out of 20) answered they wanted to go into careers that involve technology. ● All campers mentioned in feedback that the camp activities helped them develop confidence by seeing themselves using the information they learned. Many of the participants said they would engage in future activities Quotes: Title: Walker, L. J., Goings, R. B., & Wilkerson, R. D. (2019). The Role School Administrators Play in Creating Healthy Ecosystems for Black Male Preservice Teachers. Educational Foundations, 32. 26 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 Theory: Culturally Responsive Practices, Critical Race Theory Research Questions: Method: Themes: (a) educational leaders created unrealistic expectations that continued throughout his student teaching. (b) Developing pipeline initiatives and supportive interventions with schools to intake black and brown men as student teachers and educators (administrators, district staff, researchers, and teachers must acknowledge school-based problems to help diverse educators navigate their preservice journey.) Quotes: Title: Warren, C. A. (2020). Meeting myself: race-gender oppression and a genre study of Black men teachers’ interactions with Black boys. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(3), 367-391. Theory: Research Questions: Method: Genre study Themes: (a) Regardless of schooling arrangement, findings suggest Black men teachers must recognize and disavow hegemonic gender logic in interaction efforts to improve Black boys’ lives. The challenges of norming black masculine identity to navigate racial and cultural barriers to assimilate remain necessary idyllic with how to do just that. 27 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 (b) Positive black modeling derails and counters the anti-black diegesis. (c) Few research-based reviews reinforce anti-oppressive conceptions of race, gender, and sexuality. Quotes: Title: Dinkins, E., and Thomas, K. (2016). Black teachers matter: Qualitative study of factors influencing African American candidates success in a teacher preparation program. AILACTE Journal. Journal, v13 n1 pgs. 23-40. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1130324 Theory: Culturally Responsive Theory Research Questions: What are Black male teachers’ perceptions of the school-based roles their colleagues and administrators expect them to play? Method: 27 Black male teachers across 14 schools in one urban school district. ● During the first wave of interviews, participants described their life histories, prepared to become teachers, and decided to teach in their current schools. During the second wave of interviews, participants reflected on their school-based experiences. These reflections included interactions with students, colleagues, administrators, and parents. Each interview was recorded and then 28 Published by SCHOLINK INC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1130324 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 transcribed by a transcription service. Here, we used the qualitative method, specifically phenomenology; ● There was also socioeconomic diversity during the participants’ childhood and adolescence, ranging from being upper-middle-class to living with a single mother and relying on government assistance. While seven participants were born in Boston or its environs, the majority were Boston transplants: They were born and raised in several cities across the United States and the African Diaspora (e.g., the Caribbean and West Africa). All schools and participants were given pseudonyms to protect their identity. ● Etic (within the social group) and emic coding (without or outside perspectives) Themes: ● The Black male teachers described how their colleagues expected them to redirect student misbehavior (De facto Disciplinarian) ● it is essential to examine the organizational conditions in which they teach.- “Learning how to walk the fine line.” ● administrators positioned them to serve as disciplinarians first and educators second. ● Reviews the theory- universal carceral apparatus: Shedd posited that in the name of social justice and protecting youth of color from perceived and credible threats, urban public schools have adopted and made commonplace the apparatus used in carceral institutions. ● The notion of the pedagogical kind-type of educator whose subjectivities, pedagogies, and expectations have been set in place before 29 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 entering the classroom. In this sense, the Black male teacher has been situated directly in the Black male student’s context and received by the educational community to secure, administer, and govern the unruly Black boy in school. (p. 299)-encapsulating these teachers as agents of the universal carceral apparatus. ● A critical research footnote here, fo GYO: As Lewis (2006) suggested, many of these Black male teachers considered their role bound to some form of social justice. Lewis also recounted some of the reasons why Black male teachers only comprise about 2% of the national teaching corps: “(a) low compensation offered to teachers; (b) educational obstacles, such as the NTE or PRAXIS; and (c) social and cultural impediments (e.g., culture shock at the university level)” (p. 229). He listed these items as probable factors for this enigma and laid out what he thought could increase the Black male teacher population. He also stated that alternative certification programs had helped aid the growth of the number of black males. ● This leads to whether Black male teachers are specifically needed to help young men of color navigate their schooling and what this might say about how these Black male teachers engage with other students. ● In his study, black male teachers had to negotiate their identities and positions within professional contexts that challenged their access to patriarchal definitions of manhood in a society that assesses men by their ability to wield patriarchal power. Instead, Baldwin credited his ability to get to know this student 30 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 as follows, “I don’t think he was just gonna respond to me better than others because I’m me, or because I’m a male or because I’m Black. I think because I sort of invested time…we’ve built a relationship.” Here, Baldwin redefined the requisites needed to manage challenging students beyond race and gender to focus instead on the importance of building relationships with students. ● As such, policymakers should frame efforts to increase the ethnoracial diversity of the country’s educator workforce as benefiting all students in this increasingly diverse society. ● Considering black men as the pedagogical kind versus the disciplinarian. Quotes: ● schools “have begun to resemble correctional facilities. Metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and other mechanisms Urban Rev 1 3 designed to monitor and control inhabitants are now standard equipment” (p. 80). ● Brown (2012) reminded us that “Black men are not magically reconstructed to be positive role models capable of reaching Black youth; this image resulted from a conference of discourse that can be traced to the sociological studies of the 1930’s” ● Teachers of color have been tapped to have specific jobs or duties based on their being a male or also being a male and person of color. [Mr. Brooks], me and another African American man had an outdoor duty, to just kind of monitor and police the front of the building at dismissal times just to usher students away from the building and make sure there are no issues outside the building…. It was clear and 31 Published by SCHOLINK INC. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr Education, Language and Sociology Research Vol. 2, No. 2, 2021 evident why we were chosen for those roles. ● He worked to improve classroom practices that would mitigate misbehavior. Sangster recalled attending a summer professional development session on classroom management-treated his class as a “house” and worked to ensure that students felt they were part of a “family.” ● “If schools only envision these teachers’ roles as one dimensional, they run the risk of enclosing and delimiting their pedagogical potential.” 32 Published by SCHOLINK INC. Original Paper Jupp, J. C., & Slattery, P. (December 19, 2011). Becoming Teachers of Inner-City Students: Identification Creativity and Curriculum Wisdom of Committed White Male Teachers. Urban Education, 47(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085911427737