Pedagogical Third Spaces: Inclusion and Re-Presentation of LGBTQ Communities in and through Teaching as a Matter of Justice

In this article, a teacher educator and a New York City elementary public school teacher share insights from a yearlong collaboration whereby they worked together to interrupt normative pedagogical practices regarding gender, sexuality, and interrelated identities within the context of a second-grade classroom. Bridging the typical disconnect between teaching and teacher education, the authors worked to queer early childhood education, developing a framework for full inclusivity through the codesign and implementation of pedagogical third spaces. Through examples, they show how this innovative framework offers the potential to transform the architecture of teaching in ways that render LGBTQ voices, identities, and experiences visible, (re)positioning them centrally in curriculum and teaching. In doing so, this framework (re)conceptualizes inclusion and representation of LGBTQ individuals and communities in and through teaching as a matter of justice.