| I seek to bring the literature of critical pedagogues, reflective practitioners in education and student-centered teachers to bear on a critical examination of my own teaching methods. I reflect on and analyze my past professional teaching and educational experiences, focusing primarily on utilizing Sekou Sundiata's Research to Performance Method to teach a course on Sekou Sundiata and the Black Arts Movement at the New School in New York City. Through my teacher self-study, I attempt to convey the essential roles of educator empowerment and agency, critical pedagogy, reflective practice as well as culturally relevant and student-centered teaching in urban education methodology. Recalling my personal experiences as a professional working in urban educational contexts, and critically examining my curriculum, lesson plans, journal entries, classroom observations and students' work, I hope to contextualize my teaching within, as well as critique and problematize existing scholarship on reflective practitioners, and ultimately cultivate and contribute new ideas to the body of knowledge on urban education methodology. |
