This book utilizes various frameworks to explore race, language, gender, discrimination, identity, immigration, poverty, social justice, and pedagogy. The contributors highlight the importance of using critical perspectives in contemporary discussions about education in the Southern United States.

Critical Perspectives on Teaching in the Southern United States presents new and provocative insights into education in the Southern United States, from the perspective of educators with a variety of experiences. This book foregrounds the Southern United States as having unique sociopolitical, sociohistorical, and sociocultural contexts which directly influence knowledge and classroom pedagogies. Contributors use a range of critical frameworks that coalesce around methods including: self-reflection through research, social justice advocacy, and culturally responsive, culturally relevant, culturally sustaining, and asset-based pedagogies. Through the lenses of these critical frameworks, several contributors also address challenges and strategies for teaching controversial topics in the classroom. Drawing upon unique experiences teaching in various regions of the Southern United States, chapters explore salient topics such as race, language, gender, discrimination, identity, immigration, poverty, social justice, and their influence(s) on pedagogy. This book raises questions considering the ways that history has shaped present-day Southern education and about the myriad complex dynamics that influence pedagogy in the Southern U.S. context. Ultimately, this book affirms the importance of utilizing critical perspectives in contemporary discussions about education in the Southern United States.

Part 1: Sociohistorical Foundations

Chapter 1: Introduction: The Sociohistorical Context of Public Education in the Southern United States-Natalie Keefer and Tori K. Flint

Chapter 2: Theorizing Education and Human Rights in the Southern United States-Natalie Keefer

Part 2: Reflections from the Field

Chapter 3: Through their Eyes: Promoting Voice and Multiple Perspectives to Facilitate Social Justice Advocacy in the South-Gregory L. Samuels and Brandon J. Haas

Chapter 4: ‘Unscripting’ the Curriculum: A Teacher’s Reflections on Moving toward Culturally Relevant Pedagogy-Allison M. Bernard and Tori K. Flint

Chapter 5: Disrupting the Silence: Teaching about Racism in Higher Education in the Deep South-Amy Samuels

Chapter 6: “It’s Like Boiling a Frog": Deintellectualization and Devaluation through the Eyes of a Black Woman Academician in the Deep South-Valin S. Jordan

Chapter 7: Swimming Against the Current in a Sea of Low Expectations: Louisiana Teachers Building Their Own Professional Capital-Melissa A. Gallagher and Catherine J. Melancon

Chapter 8: Politically Charged Classroom Conversations: A Duoethnographic Exploration of Teaching in a Swing State-Andrea Watson-Canning and Sarah M. Denney

Part 3: Pedagogy and Content

Chapter 9: “It Hasn’t Happened Yet, It Hasn’t even Begun Yet”: Teaching about Southern Politics-Mark Pearcy and Jeremiah Clabough

Chapter 10: “Isn’t it peachy?”: The Successes and Pitfalls of Teaching Complicated Topics in 8th Grade Georgia Studies-Scott L. Roberts, Brandon M. Butler, Charles J. Elfer, David T. Kendrick, and Valerie Widdall

Chapter 11: Real Stories, Real People: Foot Soldiers Laboring for the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama-Janie Hubbard and Cory Callahan

Part 4: Borders and Boundaries: Language, Immigration, and Identity

Chapter 12: A Self-Study through Video Portraiture: The Emotional Dimensions of Funds of Knowledge in the Southeastern Borderlands-Eliza D. Butler and Jessica Espinosa

Chapter 13: “In school I really feel American”: Complicating American Identity-In-Practice in a Rural Southern Elementary School-Matthew M. Green

Chapter 14: “The New Diversity Challenge”: Exploring Louisiana Educators’ Preparedness to Teach English Learners-Maria Isolina Bravo-Ruiz

Appendices

About the Contributors