Life for students who do not belong to the dominant culture can be
exhausting. While some of our more overt forms of discrimination and
prejudice have been confronted, schools (and communities) can still be difficult places to navigate for
those who come from historically underserved or underrepresented groups. There
are just so many subtle ways that people from the dominant culture (many times
unintentionally) remind others that they don’t quite belong. These
tendencies are known as microaggressions. Derald Wing Sue, a professor at
Columbia University, defines them as follows:
Microaggressions are
the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults,
whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or
negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group
membership. In many cases, these hidden messages may invalidate the group identity or experiential reality of target persons, demean them on a personal
or group level, communicate they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not
belong with the majority group, threaten and intimidate, or relegate them to
inferior status and treatment.
If “macroagressions” are overt, explicit choices people make to
dehumanize others, microaggressions are more subtle behaviors that often fall
under the radar. But for those on the receiving end of these experiences,
the sting is quite real. And because they happen so frequently, in so
many unexpected places, the overall impact can be just as distressing as overt
acts themselves. Many have compared these experiences to tiny paper cuts,
which on the face of things may seem harmless. But when you get 8-10
paper cuts each day, some of which aren’t allowed to heal, you can imagine how
it might take its toll.
Again, it is likely that most of those microaggressions are
unintentional. Many of the behaviors are done without much forethought as
to how it might be perceived by others. It can be as simple as addressing
a group of students as “guys” or complementing a Latinx student for speaking
English well. The list of potential microaggressions is pretty lengthy.
And, depending on important cultural and social shifts, they constantly
change. It is important to become more aware of our microaggressions.
We can do this, as it has been mentioned in other newsletters this school
year, by working to remain more conscious of our choices by reading widely,
expanding our social circles, and viewing shows / movies / artwork from people
who have been traditionally silenced.
It would be impossible to create an exhaustive list of
microaggressions unique to the classroom. But, I will include here a modified
list developed by the University of Denver, as a starter.
Examples of Microaggressions Common to Education
- Continue to mispronounce the names of students after they have
corrected you several times.
- Scheduling tests and project due dates on religious or cultural
holidays.
- Setting low expectations for students from particular groups.
- Calling on and validating men and ignoring women students during
class discussions.
- Using inappropriate humor in class that degrades students from
different groups.
- Expressing racially charged political opinions in class assuming
the targets of those opinions are not present..
- Hosting debates in class that place students from groups who may
represent the minority opinion in a difficult position.
- Denying the experiences of students by questioning the
credibility and validity of their stories.
- Assigning projects that ignore differences in socioeconomic
class status.
-Ignoring student-to-student microaggressions.
- Asking non-white students where they are from.
-Assuming a student’s sexuality.
-Assuming that a student has one or both parents.
Finally, it should be noted that these may be actions we made with
good intentions, so it might hurt a little to find out that our intended
message was eclipsed by an unintended one. When confronted with these
mistakes, a common reaction is to become defensive or offended. However,
as much as it might sting, it’s okay to just hold off on saying something.
Especially if that confrontation happened with a student; it took a considerable amount of courage to
say something on their part. Considering the power dynamic of teacher and
student, they made the comment knowing that you could retaliate in some way.
Honor their willingness to say something. Set it aside for a time
when you can think on it more deeply. Or simply say, “You are right. I
made an assumption I shouldn’t have. I apologize.” Do NOT say, “I
am sorry if you were offended by something I said.” Doing so implies that
they are at fault for being offended in the first place.
The week before break, a neighbor asked me if I was tired of
teaching in an environment where you always had to be “politically correct”. I
responded by saying that I didn’t see it that way. I said replace the
phrase “politically correct” with the word “respectful” or “thoughtful”.
Being politically correct, or monitoring our microaggressions, is really
just a way to be more mindful of the people around us and how they experience
and see the world. As a teacher, my hope is to provide a space where all
students feel respected and heard, despite the subtle and not-so-subtle differences
that exist between us.
See the full newsletter here.
