ABSTRACT
Teacher advocates organize their classrooms to be both democratic and caring learning spaces, utilizing place-based and culturally relevant instructional approaches to empower students. In this chapter, the work that teacher advocates carry out in their classrooms is examined through the lens of critical pedagogy. Teachers who practice this pedagogy act authentically to support students who are oppressed through genuine acts of care and by examining and then transforming their relationship with their students. Critical pedagogy also requires teachers to struggle with students in solidarity by co-designing learning experiences that provide opportunities for students to explore their lived experiences. By engaging with students in planning and instruction, teachers implement meaningful democratic leadership with their students. This chapter illustrates teacher advocates’ efforts to design and implement classroom structures and programs that meet the specific needs of their students who are marginalized. The chapter includes specific examples from the case studies.
