Fostering Critical Pedagogy in the ELA Classroom : Mentoring, Networking, and Supporting English Teachers

This book presents the story of the Critical English Educator Collaborative (CEEC) - a teacher-guided, informal learning community focused on supporting prospective and practicing ELA teachers’ understandings of critical pedagogy - in order to demonstrate and foster critical pedagogy amongst ELA teachers. Over the course of one academic year, three English language arts (ELA) teacher educators at a large public university in the southeastern US guided a cohort of novice ELA teachers in monthly virtual conversations relative to the challenges facing public school teachers today.Prior to these monthly meetings, participants engaged with a text (book chapter, journal article, podcast) related to the teaching of English in middle and secondary schools post-Covid.Throughout the year, participants challenged and supported one another on social, political, and curricular issues.This book invites readers into the context for CEEC and shares the experiences of ELA teachers engaging in critical