What Informs and Inspires the Work of Equity Minded Teachers

Abstract

This article explores teachers’ reasons for engaging in equity work. Although multiple bodiesof literature discuss teaching for equity from different perspectives, little empirical data existsabout what informs or motivates people to teach for equity. This study aims to help fill thatgap in existing research with the purpose of informing professional development and trainingfor practicing teachers hoping to or attempting to engage in equity work, and for encouragingand motivating other educators in beginning to engage in equity work. Data was gatheredthrough interviews with 15 teachers from three large school boards in Southern Ontario.Findings illustrate that participants were motivated to engage in equity work because ofpersonal experiences with inequity, witnessing other people experience inequities, and learningabout inequities in school. Three key findings stand out with regards to their utility forprofessional development and training: all participants spoke of critical incidents whichcompelled them to do equity work; emotional struggles were associated with their work, yetthey remained hopeful in the possibility of change regardless of what they had experienced;finally, the nature of the equity work that participants chose to undertake was directly relatedto the nature of their experience with in/equity.