Unpacking Everyday "Teacher Talk" About Students and Families of Color: Implications for Teacher and School Leader Development

Informal teacher talk about students is ubiquitous, but it remains largely unexamined. This study critically examines casual, everyday teacher discourse about students perceived to be racially or culturally different. Data were collected through participants' journal entries, group discussion, and interviews. Findings revealed three dominant deficit-based discursive themes embedded in informal teacher talk about students of color. I argue for the need to heighten educators' critical awareness of deficit discourse and its relationship to teaching, learning, and issues of equity. This article will likely be of interest to educational administration faculty, teacher educators, K-12 educators, and those studying school culture.