Passionate Commitment to a Multicultural Society: Coming of Age in Teacher Education.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper addresses how teacher educators can prepare teachers and credential candidates to deal with the issues of pluralism and overarching democratic ideals. It examines the tenets of a multicultural education course in teacher education and discusses how teacher education programs should be shaping multicultural education. In classes at San Diego State University in California, teachers are prepared to be critical thinkers, cultural mediators, student advocates, and change agents who are committed to equal education and a socially just nation and world community. In order to accomplish these goals, five phases of instruction have been developed: (1) establish a sense of community; (2) evaluate personal values, assumptions, and biases; (3) examine mainstream culture; (4) strengthen connections between teachers and culturally diverse communities; and (5) support equity and diversity in the curriculum. (Contains 12 references.) (JDD)