Affiliation:
1. Georgia State University, USA
Abstract
Preparing preservice English language arts (ELA) teachers to enact critical composition pedagogy is challenging considering the array of knowledge, practices, ideologies, and skills teachers must acquire. Further, school contexts often present multiple challenges to enacting critical pedagogy. This chapter presents analysis of two preservice teachers' beliefs, teaching practices, and challenges and supports for critical composition pedagogy during student teaching in middle schools. Additionally, the author explores to what extent the ELA methods course she taught influenced beliefs and/or teaching practices, particularly regarding writing. A guiding question is: How do different elements across university and school spaces function as challenges and/or supports to enacting critical composition pedagogy? Recommendations for ELA teacher educators are to integrate queer pedagogy and intersectional identity work; to provide better models for CCP enactment in collaboration with in-service teachers; and to build activist coalitions across school, university, and community stakeholders.