Niceness is a socialized disposition, particularly amongst white women, that prioritizes comfort and neutrality while preventing resistance against oppressive systems. Given the demographics of teachers and teacher educators, niceness and whiteness are deeply embedded in programs and institutions. As eight white, female teacher educators, we drew…

Drawing on ethnographic data of an urban school, this paper contrasts how two White female teachers take up the idea of 'teaching for social justice.' Fourth-grade teacher Maestra Rachel enacts a superficial understanding focused solely on curricular topics, while third-grade teacher Maestra Jennifer roots her teaching in an understanding of how…

This qualitative case study investigated how two White female preschool teachers, who were familiar with anti-bias pedagogy, discussed gender non-conformity using a book in their classrooms. The book discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Teachers challenged some of the children's gender stereotypes about gender non-conformity; however,…

This study explores the stories of White, female teachers to understand moments of critical consciousness around race during childhood experiences that may have supported strong relationships with students of color in their teaching careers. Qualitative methods were employed to collect and analyze the stories of five White, female teachers in an…

In this article, I start with an overview of two major events in 2020--the Coronavirus and the murder of George Floyd to contextualize White women's engagement in anti-racist work. I make meaning of the learning process for other White Women as I reflect and analyze my own learning experiences using autoethnography. I offer an overview of critical…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a deeper understanding of how Black women experience graduate education. Drawing on concepts from contemporary literature, this work highlights how Black women in graduate education experience the complexities of race, gender, and class. The findings provided insights into the untold stories of…

Despite institutional claims to value increased racial diversity in higher education, Black women in faculty roles perpetually navigate oppressive cultures across all institutional types. The ability to build and foster mutually beneficial interracial mentoring relationships is vitally important to move beyond performative diversity and build…

This study represents a qualitative exploration of the emotional experiences of early care and education (ECE) teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research questions consisted of the following: (1) "What were the emotional experiences of ECE teachers during COVID-19?" (2) "How do ECE teachers understand, contextualize, and/or…

This essay proposes a feminist research agenda on the history of women teachers' experiences in the latter stages of their career and life. Drawing on extant histories of white women elementary and secondary teachers in the largely Anglo, western world (centred on the United States, Canada, England, Australia and Ireland), the essay explores the…

This article employs narrative inquiry to illuminate how teachers' embodied culture of care, or lack thereof, effects African American students. The majority teacher (young, White, female) often struggles to counter the cultural mismatch and connect with her diverse student population. This study highlights narratives of African American students…

There has been longstanding criticism of the whiteness of the professional discourses in teaching. Bariso (Race Ethn Educ 4(2):167-184, 2001) writes that where whiteness is constructed as being professional then blackness is constructed as unprofessional, in turn excluding blackness from the construction of the teacher. Similarly, Bhopal (Br J…

The value of mentorship for family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals is emphasized by inclusion in five leadership development programs offered by FCS professional organizations. The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Leadership Academy, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Leadership Institute, Council of…

Preparing teachers to provide an equitable and socially just education has become a focus for many teacher preparation programs across the country. Yet, relatively little research attention has been given to the role of mentor teachers--the people who student teachers identify as most influential in their learning to teach--in this work. This…

This qualitative inquiry examines how a White literacy teacher learns from and with a Black girl through multimodal composing in an out-of-school, alternative learning context. Data collection instruments include field observations, teacher planning sheets, teacher reflections, and researcher feedback. Multimodal Literacy Pedagogy and Black Girls'…

In this critical autoethnography, I discuss and critically reflect on some of my personal identities, specifically being a white, queer woman in the Deep South of the United States, that inform how I interact with the world and my students. I then discuss how the interplay of these identities has led me to particular pedagogical strategies for…