ABSTRACT
The author discusses his/her work as a critical teacher educator committed to social justice, beginning with a narrative account that captures the development of his/her praxis. To do so, he/she employ critical race/feminist currere to engage in critical self-reflection about his/her experiences as a child, student, and teacher. He/she discusses narrative anecdotes around four central themes in his/her life history: counter-narrating, resisting, advocating, and knowledge building. In urban schools where he/she taught secondary English, learning how to advocate on behalf of the students he/she taught was a critical learning experience. This aspect of his/her practice developed as his/her witnessed the frequent marginalization of Black male youth in particular, as a result of school disciplinary policies. His/her learning experiences during doctoral study indeed expanded his/her understandings of the foundations of the United States (US) public education system. In addition, the coursework helped his/her situate the enduring struggle for social justice and equity alongside policies, practices, and frameworks related to teaching English.
