Embracing gentle resistance to the slow violence of traditional English curriculum

Purpose This study aims to explore and highlight how a secondary English teacher’s commitment to nonviolence was maintained through gentle and purposeful resistance to the subtle violence of her school’s curriculum practices. Design/methodology/approach Data from this qualitative study was examined with attention to the slow violence of schooling and critical literacy practices. Findings The participant resisted the curriculum in place by making changes to text order and focus, omitting texts strategically and carefully attending to language and power relationships. Originality/value Slow violence is only beginning to be taken up as a concept in education research. In addition to connecting canonized literature and traditional curriculum with this building conversation, this study presents “gentle resistance” as a similarly dispersed way for teachers to contribute to the goals of nonviolence.