“Love Has to Be Part of What You’re Doing”: Exploring Black Men Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices With Black Boys

Abstract

This qualitative study explored Black men teachers’ pedagogy and praxis in their work with Black boys at Mays Academy (pseudonym), a single-sex secondary school. Using Black pedagogical love as our guide, findings revealed these Black men teachers developed and deployed a pedagogy and praxis that was centered on loving Black boys through their lives and their present and future selves. These findings extend understandings of Black men's culturally relevant teaching and specifically identify love as pedagogy that helps connect educators to Black boys, serves as a foundation for relationships and learning, and enhances how Black boys experience the educational environment.

Keywords

Black men teachers pedagogy teaching love Black boys life-making

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