Developing a Student-Centered Teacher Identity: Self-Paced Course

Description

Course Description:

Teachers’ identities often look the same: traditional, authoritative, and rigid. Research has found that these identities rarely positively impact student achievement, especially for students of color. Therefore, this course focuses on adjustments educators must make to develop student-centered classrooms that promote trust, positive interaction, and shared accountability.

Course Objectives:

Explore the process of teacher identity development
Analyze, discuss, and engage with research-based documents regarding student-centered education and teacher identities
Identify the benefits and obstacles of placing students at the center of teacher identities
Create a personal, student-centered mission statement, motto, and scenarios for future refer
Course Instructor: Dr. Jalesa Parks

Jalesa Parks is an author and educator with secondary and post-secondary teaching experiences in Mississippi and Tennessee. She holds dual Master’s degrees in English and Secondary Education (Mississippi State University) and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (University of Memphis). She has also received extensive training in intersectionality and critical race theory. Therefore, she currently works to facilitate workshops that assist school practitioners in developing a socially-just classroom environment that is fun, interactive, culturally affirming, and uplifting for all students.