"Never in My Life Have I Learned to Teach to a Program and Not to the Kids Sitting in Front of Me:" Critical Pedagogy Meets Restrictive Educational Contexts

The need for critical pedagogy instruction in teacher education programs is unquestionable. However, what happens when teacher candidates do internalize and demonstrate a desire to enact socially just practices, and they are prevented from doing so because of their educational contexts? By using a single teacher candidate's narrative, this paper seeks to problematize the idea that effective critical pedagogy instruction is enough to change teachers' perceptions and practices. Because teacher candidates and novice candidates are positioned subversively, they are often unable to implement the critical pedagogy they may have come to value, which can lead to frustration, anger, loss of self-efficacy, and even a desire to leave the field. This article seeks to consider what steps teacher education programs can take to increase the teacher candidates' critical pedagogy sustainability within restrictive institutions and structures