Teaching for Change: Narratives of Creativity and Persistence

Melissa Smith, MA

Paper Title: Teaching for Change: Narratives of Creativity and Persistence

Abstract: This paper draws on data collected as part of a larger project evaluating the efficacy of the Reduction of Stigma in Schools program. Data lends insight to how educators understand their roles as public educators in a democratic tradition which “would seem to demand that schools have the…social responsibility to treat all students in a socially just manner” (Macgillvray, 2000, 315). Educators who have participated in the program between 2006 and 2009 told stories of the work they do to negotiate the tension between school policy, parent and student resistance, and their commitment to teaching for equity and social justice. Their narratives of creativity and persistence are indicative of the possibilities for advocacy and action on behalf of LGBT students, and they offer implications for steps school districts and Departments of Education can take to support educators in their efforts to construct educational spaces that are affirming for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.