From Classroom Conversations to Public Dialogue: Preservice Teachers Engaging with Diverse Children’s Literature

Authors

• Janell Pycior, University of Southern IndianaFollow

ORCID

0009-0006-7267-9309

Abstract

Preservice teachers often engage with issues of diversity, equity, identity, and representation within the safety of their university classrooms; however, opportunities to extend these conversations into public and professional settings may be less common. This practice-based reflective article examines the experience of moving seven undergraduate preservice teachers enrolled in an upper-level Diversity in Children’s Literature course beyond their familiar classroom environment and into a professional academic conference. The students, majoring in early childhood, elementary, or special education and minoring in reading, participated in a roundtable discussion at the Indiana Academy of Social Sciences focused on diversity and representation in children’s and middle grades literature.

Grounded in research surrounding diverse children’s literature, Rudine Sims Bishop’s Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors framework, social justice–oriented teacher preparation, and undergraduate conference participation, the article describes the coursework and experiences that prepared students to participate in conversations surrounding race, disability, culture, identity, and lived experience. Rather than rehearsing or coaching students for the conference, preparation was embedded throughout the course through diverse literature, small-group discussions, student-generated expectations for a safe classroom environment, and opportunities to consider texts through the lens of their future roles as educators.

Reflections on the conference experience illustrate the uncertainty that can accompany moving preservice teachers from classroom-based conversations into unfamiliar professional spaces. The experience also provides a foundation for considering how teacher educators can create opportunities for preservice teachers to speak, teach, and demonstrate their learning beyond traditional classroom walls. By extending equity-focused coursework into public scholarly engagement, preservice teachers have opportunities to practice communicating with audiences beyond children and their university peers. The article concludes with implications for teacher educators interested in connecting children’s literature, experiential learning, and professional engagement while maintaining supportive spaces for preservice teachers as they navigate difficult and necessary conversations.

Recommended Citation

Pycior, Janell (2026) "From Classroom Conversations to Public Dialogue: Preservice Teachers Engaging with Diverse Children’s Literature," Midwest Social Sciences Journal: Vol. 29: Iss. 1, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22543/2766-0796.1225
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/mssj/vol29/iss1/8