Perspectives of American Teachers in and from the U.S. Territories

Abstract

GeoCivics, a U.S. Department of Education grant-funded teacher professional development project, was designed using Yosso’s community cultural wealth framework (2005) and the TEMPL framework (Teaching Emergent Multilinguals: Professional Development and Leadership) (Guerrero & Jiménez-Silva, 2025). GeoCivics aimed to “move beyond a single story” to tell the “many stories” (Adichie, 2009) of teachers in America through a lens that honors teachers’ expertise and voices. In the context of place-based professional development (PD) held in U.S. territories, this study explored how personal and collective narratives from five teachers across the territories illuminated the profound influence of race, language, and identity on the educational experiences of K-12 educators. Using pláticas methodology (Jiménez-Silva & Lopez, 2024), this study documented how these PD experiences contributed to the formation of personal, cultural, linguistic, and leadership identities. In addition, this research traced how these experiences were transferred to action in their classrooms through civic engagement with their students. Findings highlight the critical importance of inclusive, identity-affirming PD that values educators’ voices and experiences. The study also examined connections between teacher development, civic education, and teacher retention. Researchers and teachers, as co-authors, reflect on their own journeys, illustrating how these PD experiences have shaped their professional and personal identities and deepened their commitment to equity and justice in education.