Who are Latino/a Prospective Teachers and What do They Bring to U.S. Schools?

In this article, the authors draw on life-history methods to investigate the family, school, university, and teacher education experiences of three Latino teacher candidates in a large, midwestern, research-oriented university in the United States. They show how in university social experiences and in teacher education classes and field experiences, these young men often felt misinterpreted in interactions with white females in particular. Also evident is their strong desire to make personal connections with youth and families they teach. The authors offer suggestions for how teacher educators can be more responsive to prospective male elementary teachers and teacher candidates of color.