The overriding purpose of this research was to study sources of motivation for teacher resiliency in the practice of critical and anti-oppressive education. As a White teacher faced with a curriculum in which engagement with difficult topics such as these is optional, I determined that it would be valuable for me to understand the elements which helped to contribute to my meaningful and sustained engagement in these practices. The research draws on the qualitative research methodology and methods of critical auto-ethnography and thematic narrative analysis. A critical perspective was used to analyze all texts and themes throughout the process.