Abstract

Critical Mass in the Teacher Education Academy is a book that will generate a great deal of conversation about the value and contributions of teacher educators in preparing the next generation of teachers and teacher educators. Our work in the field of teacher education is ultimately grounded in who we are, where we have come from, and the extent to which we are prepared to acknowledge and critique our learning experiences. This book affirms the value of theorized self-critique and critical reflection in anchoring the field to empower educators to be active agents of change for the greater good. The chapter authors’ critical theorizing will help readers to recognize and explore their own strengths, biases, and struggles. The book may be particularly helpful to novice and veteran teacher educators in deconstructing and theorizing their own experiences as they chart their personal and professional trajectories. This book captures a broad range and depth of the diverse backgrounds represented in the field of teacher education in the US. It celebrates our interconnectedness in diversity. Like the lichens on the cover of this book, we must live and work together through shared understandings of our unique contributions. We recognize that the next generation of teacher educators needs to be community- and interculturally minded in local and global contexts. This book provides a timely opportunity for teacher educators at all stages in their career to critically engage with these conversations.