The Expressive Arts in Teacher Education

How does one “teach” social justice? How can teacher educators present issues of equity that have relevance to teachers and their students? What strategies can be employed to teach this critical discipline? What inspires teachers to initiate action and lead change? Social justice advocates and educators must ask these questions if they are to succeed in teaching social justice. This book explores the power of the expressive arts to identify, examine, and address issues of inequity in the context of social justice teacher education. Current literature outlines effective social justice teacher education including identity, reflection, and dialogue. However, little has been written about the utilization and power of the arts as a pedagogical tool in general teacher education for social justice. This book provides a study of the author's journey as she develops a “palpable pedagogy” to teach social justice education through the arts. It will provide welcome insights and guidance for teacher educators and teachers on how the expressive arts can be utilized to catalyze social justice learning and leadership.