While extant work demonstrates the impact of teacher and student identities on student achievement, less attention has been directed to how educators situate themselves with their identities and their work. Drawing from in-depth interviews with 21 elementary educators, I argue that educators’ approaches to their students may be partially a reflection of their identities, students’ identities, and their organizational and professional contexts. When drawing upon identities, their actions sought to combat inequalities, issues, and stereotypes confronting their students. The results offer insight on educators’ rationale in interactions with children and suggest that it is worthwhile to further examine educators’ self-reflections about their identities.
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