[Un]consciously [Dis]serving English Learners: A Reflection of Bilingual Teacher Educators on the Border

We are teacher educators along the Mexico/U.S. border. Jeanette is a Tsalagi woman who has some knowledge of her tribal language, but who does not have fluency. Lida and Blanca work with elementary teacher candidates in an on-site bilingual block in a local partner school, while Jeanette teaches the undergraduate and graduate multicultural education course, which is required for admission to the teacher education program. In the elementary teacher education program, the teacher candidates participate in the on-site blocks for one year where they are immersed in the classroom four mornings a week. Teacher candidates work with cooperating teachers—the licensed classroom teachers—during the mornings and participate in methods courses after practicum hours