More than Just “Cool with it:” Navigating Safe and Productive Field Experiences for LGBTQIA+ Students

Webinar Resources

This webinar is intended to help faculty and placement staff be aware of key considerations when making field experience placements for LGBTQIA+ teacher candidates. In a moment where state legislatures across the country are enacting laws designed to silence and render invisible LGBTQIA+ K-12 students and families, how can we ensure that our LGBTQIA+ teacher education candidates are entering field experiences that are safe and affirm their identities? We need teachers who are more than just “cool with it” to be working as mentors and advocates for our students.  

Moderators: 

Christine Gentry, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
New York University 
Co-Chair, AACTE’s LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Inclusion Topical Action Group (TAG)
Gentry is a clinical assistant professor in the NYU Teacher Residency, where she serves as residency director for the NYC DOE partnership and leads the data, assessment, and continuous improvement efforts of the program. Gentry currently serves on the AACTE Programmatic Advisory Committee on Government Relations and Advocacy and co-chairs the LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Inclusion Topical Action Group (TAG) for AACTE. Before her work in teacher preparation, Gentry taught English, creative writing, and oral storytelling in the public schools of Boston and New York City for thirteen years.  

Will Coghill-Behrends, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Iowa 
Co-Chair, AACTE’s LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Inclusion Topical Action Group (TAG)
Coghill-Behrends is the associate chair in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Iowa College of Education and a clinical associate professor of multilingual education. He is also co-director of the Baker Teacher Leader Center, where he leads a focus on global education initiatives and educator pathway programs. Coghill-Behrends was a classroom world language teacher, starting his career abroad in Germany, and teaching more recently in Iowa City before moving to the University of Iowa. In his current position, he supports the comprehensive internationalization of the College of Education, including the development of educational opportunities abroad for pre-service teachers to grow in their own global education competency. He is co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Inclusion Topical Action Group (TAG). He is the author of three books on the education job market and search for pre-service teachers and those seeking work in academe, and has presented at numerous conferences at the state, regional, national, and international levels.   

Speakers/Panel: 

Kate Kedley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Critical Literacy
Technology & Multilingual Education
Rowan University  
Kedley joined Rowan University in 2017 and is an associate professor in the Department of Critical Literacy, Technology, and Multilingual Education. Kedley received a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa (Language, Literacy, and Culture), an M.A. from Northern Arizona University (English), and a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa (English Education). Kedley also holds graduate certificates in professional writing and in gender, women’s, and sexuality studies. Kedley is a former secondary English language arts and driver’s education teacher in Iowa, Arizona, and the Central American country of Honduras. At Rowan, Kedley teaches in the pre-service teacher program. Kedley’s research centers around critical literacy and education, public engagement, LGBTQ and young adult literature, language education, and social and educational movements in Honduras.  

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2Iz8yscAAAAJ&hl=en  
Rowan Digital Works: https://works.bepress.com/kate-kedley/  

Sara Reichenberger
Field Experience Coordinator
University of Kansas
Reichenberger is a seasoned educator, administrator, and staunch advocate for inclusive education. Holding dual master’s degrees in curriculum and instruction, and educational leadership from respected institutions, Reichenberger is currently a doctoral candidate in Higher Education Administration. With a rich background spanning over twelve years in K-12 settings, she has worn multiple hats — from being a teacher and instructional coach to an administrator. In her current role as field experience coordinator at the University of Kansas, Sara melds her profound expertise from the classroom with her commitment to safe and inclusive learning environments. Her research focus notably explores the experiences of LGBTQ+ women leaders in higher education, a testament to her dedication to promoting diverse voices in educational leadership.