The Importance of Critical Affinity Spaces: Drawing From Research on Special Education Teachers of Color

• In Event: Building a SIG for Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers

Abstract

Objectives/Purpose: The structures of white supremacy have reinforced inequities and denied students of color who are multiply marginalized with access to a relevant and meaningful education. For educators of color, critical affinity groups provide support, reduce trauma, and help support educators toward a collective intersectional vision of justice. Drawing from our work on critical affinity groups with special education teachers of color (SETOC; Author et al., 2022), this paper highlights the importance of building critical affinity spaces for teachers and teacher educators to come together and process their individualized and collective experiences.

Theoretical Framework: Disability studies critical race theory (DisCrit; Annamma et al., 2013) has been used to study teacher preparation and the experiences of teachers of color (Author et al., 2021). We used DisCrit to frame an analysis of SETOC participants as they shared narratives during a critical affinity space. DisCrit tenet one, which holds that racism and ableism are interdependent to uphold normalcy, tenet four on the psychological impacts of racism and ableism, tenet six on whiteness and ability as property and tenet seven on activism and resistance were all used to capture the importance of critical affinity groups for SETOC.

Methods: We used qualitative focus groups to capture the narratives of special education teachers of color through an ongoing Zoom space during the 2020-2021 pandemic. SETOC noted the particular importance of such a space during the pandemic, when their teaching and instructional approaches had to shift dramatically. Participants were all working as P-12 educators in local Bay Area schools as well as obtaining either a Master’s or combined Master’s and credential in Special Education at a Minority Serving Institution.

Findings: Pizarro and Kohli (2020) describe how teachers of color tend to experience racial battle fatigue in schools, which includes the mental and physical toll of being a teacher of color when schools are so often committed to reproducing whiteness. Our work extends these findings by describing disability battle fatigue, the toll of having to constantly explain or help schools understand and undo inherent ableism. Participating SETOC share how critical affinity spaces have the power to reduce both racial and disability battle fatigue and provided a virtual space to share struggle and success with like minded individuals.

Significance: This work has several important implications for TOCIT and for building a Special Interest Group space for TOCIT to come together. Building critical affinity groups has the power to support teachers and teacher educators in moving from imposter syndrome and battle fatigue to reposition TOCIT as knowledgeable experts in teaching and learning for all students. Most importantly, it renders the TOCIT identity as visible and critical affinity spaces as important places to (re) center TOCIT and sustain them. This work, therefore, aligns with the overall goal of this working roundtable to build a critical special interest space for TOCIT.

Authors

• Saili S. Kulkarni, San Jose State University
  Presenting Author

• Samuel Bland, San Jose State University
  Presenting Author

• Joanna Gaeta, San Jose State University
  Presenting Author

• Monica Gonzalez, University of Oregon
  Presenting Author