"It's Been Weighing on Me": Narrative Accounts of Black Women Teachers' Experiences During the Pandemic

• In Event: Teachers' Identities and Pedagogies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This narrative study explores how Black women teachers in urban schools conceptualize overlapping sociopolitical crises such as structural racism, police brutality, and economic downturn as factors influencing their professional experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data from 11 participants revealed insights as to how their ethnic-racial and gender identities shaped how they experienced these overlapping crises, led to skepticism of colleagues and leadership response, and influenced their classroom pedagogy and interactions with students. Study findings reveal complex interplay between gendered and racialized socialization in schools and the professional experiences of teachers of color.

Author

• Andrea Terrero Gabbadon, Swarthmore College