FTOC aims to provide a critical third space for future teachers of Color to grow as a collective community by:
Going beyond diversifying the educator workforce, and centering wellness and accessibility for students of Color to become educators
Acknowledging the challenges of pursuing justice oriented teaching and developing tools to
Co-constructing a community and network of racial and social justice oriented peers
Promoting asset-based frameworks and addressing deficit language and ideas about communities of Color
Becoming aware of challenges teachers of Color face as justice-oriented educators and learn ways to navigate institutional barriers
Engaging in peer-to-peer mentorship to cultivate practices of community engaged and justice-oriented educators
Learning with and from the shared wisdom of youth, family and caregivers, and community educators
Continuing to develop and reimagine socially just educational futures
Through the Future Teachers of Color (FTOC) organization, we are creating a space that sustains the lives of future teachers of Color. Early career teachers of Color often experience burnout as a result of the demands of becoming acclimated to the field while simultaneously experiencing a cultural tax (Padilla, 1994) within the profession. By establishing networks of support and cultivating practices of critical care for oneself and one’s growth as an educator, through the FTOC organization we are taking a proactive approach to prioritizing the holistic health and wellness of future teachers of Color and preventing the mental and physical health effects of burnout.
Although we honor the rich histories of teaching and learning across all racial and ethnic communities (Paris and Alim, 2017), the teaching profession in the U.S. historically and currently is dominated by White educators. In an effort to reimagine the demographics of the teaching profession as more reflective of student demographics, FTOC offers resources to support undergraduate students of Color in pursuing teaching careers. To support this effort, we are building with a broad network of community educators, family and caregivers, K-12 teachers, teacher educators, and organizations that center teachers of Color (i.e. the Institute for Teachers of Color Committed to Racial Justice, EduColor, etc.).
FTOC is a space in which undergraduate students can build community and learn and grow as critical educators. FTOC members will be supported in entering into their future schools/institutions of teaching as agents of change and advocates for justice, as it relates to race, gender, sexuality, disability, and class. If you are interested in co-designing a chosen space (Moore & Paris, 2021) of learning, community building, and where pursuits of educational justice are central, please be on the lookout for more information and consider joining us for upcoming meetings!