Developing Skills and Stamina for Equity Work: An Examination of a Self-Study Community of Practice

• In Event: Developing as Social Justice Teacher Educators Through Collaborative Self-Study Practices

Abstract

As the education system continues to grapple with the debt it owes minoritized communities, white educators must develop the skills and stamina necessary to engage in equity work. Although collaborations can support this development, equity work demands long-term commitment and, thus, sustained collaboration is essential. This study borrowed a framework from the field of urban planning on tight and loose spaces to examine the experiences of seven teacher educators in a long-term self-study community of practice focused on equity work. Data analysis of critical incident surveys and interviews explored the interactions among intellectual, relational, and structural work in tightening/loosening spaces, enabling the group to begin developing the skills and stamina for addressing equity problems within their own spheres of influence.

Authors

• Tierney B Hinman, Auburn University

• Wendy L. Gardiner, Pacific Lutheran University

• Amy Leigh Tondreau, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

• Nance S. Wilson, SUNY Cortland

• Kristen White, Central Michigan University

• Tess Dussling, St. John's University

• Elizabeth Stevens, Roberts Wesleyan College