A Microaggression Just Happened in the Classroom: Now What?

Teachers are in a unique and important position to address and challenge microaggressions when they transpire.

Source: Kampus Production

Broaching microaggressions that occur in a classroom setting tends to be challenging. You are faced with many decisions, including if and how to address the microaggression. And if the answer is yes, do you confront the microaggression in the group setting or speak to the person individually? These choices are difficult for faculty and students alike.

When you are at that fork in the road deciding whether to speak up or stay silent, the following pointers can help you decide.

• Do a cost-benefit analysis. What are the pros and cons of speaking up about the microaggression? How might addressing this issue be helpful to the student? The class? The teacher? The university? What risks am I taking?
• Assess your confidence. How confident am I that I can verbalize my confrontation in a way that is in the best interest of both the communities being harmed as well as corrective for the person committing the microaggression? Aim for at least an 80 percent confidence level.

If you decide to address the microaggression, the next question you are probably asking is: “Now what?”

• Take a deep breath. It’s important to take a moment to ground and self-regulate before speaking. This is beneficial for your own self-care and well-being when navigating tough conversations.

Deep breathing will help ground you when engaging in challenging conversations about microaggressions.

Source: Kelvin Valerio/ Pexels

• Identify a value that you can anchor yourself in, and that can be your compass for action. You may root yourself in the courage that you can do this or the genuineness that by being authentic your effectiveness in the classroom will deepen an inclusive learning environment.
• Prior to addressing the microaggression, give a “heads up” to the class or person you are speaking to about what’s coming next. For example, “I would like to address something that’s a bit sensitive, and I am hopeful we can handle talking about this together.” This "opener" will increase the likelihood of your intervention being received.

No doubt these are not easy conversations. However, constructive conversations about microaggressions have the potential to improve the learning environment for all involved. Students are looking to their teachers for guidance on how to talk about and confront these topics. Let's lead by example, engage, and not avoid.

Teachers can lead by example and engage effectively in tough conversations instead of avoid them. .

Source: Nappy/Pexels