“To Be the Best Teacher Possible”: Stories of Teachers of Color with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to describe the lived experiences of teachers of color with disabilities. We anchored our study in the construct of funds of identity and the theory of intersectionality to explore how their lived experiences and multilayered identities transformed into resources and strengths for teaching children of color with disabilities. We collected our data using the model of phenomenological interviewing. Our findings demonstrate how the women’s intersecting funds of identity have positively impacted their aspirations of becoming and being special education teachers and the unique ways they perform teaching. Implications for teacher training are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Teachers of color with disabilities
• funds of identity
• intersectionality
• special education
• teacher diversity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).