Dialogic Mentoring as a Pathway for Exploring Class, Race, and Ethnicity

As educators, it is important to reflect on the critical elements of class, race, and ethnic differences experienced in the early childhood education (ECE) classroom with children, staff, and parents. In this chapter, dialogic mentoring reveals and works through these differences, examining context as a precursor to understanding how content and presence impact teaching and learning experiences. Grounded in critical pedagogy, which holds dialogue central to learning, this approach values the lived experiences of teachers and students. It emphasizes ongoing reflection based on a transformative educational model versus a transactional model. We present a case study of a Brazilian educator working in a high-socioeconomic U.S. ECE environment, engaging in critical inquiry to explore contextual complexities. This reflection provides insight into a dialogic mentoring approach, directly connecting critical inquiry and reflection to diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the learning environment.