Before a microaggression occurs: Prepare and practice
Not sure what a microaggression is? Here’s an explanation.
Fostering a supportive learning environment can reduce the likelihood of microaggressions and, when they do occur, they can be addressed constructively, creating opportunities for learning among students and instructors. Here are some strategies you may wish to apply before a microaggression occurs in the classroom as a proactive measure to reduce the likelihood of occurrences.
Collaboratively establish classroom community norms (also known as classroom guidelines or ground rules).[1][2][3]
Why: Articulating expectations for class participation, teamwork and discussions can help foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and clarify how students (and the instructor/TA) will work together. Co-developing classroom community norms can promote students’ buy-in.
Identify and reflect on your identity and biases, and how these may influence interactions with your students.[4][5][6]
Why: Our identities and biases can inform our teaching including one’s position of power as an instructor. We may be more aware of some of them (explicit biases) than others (implicit biases). Cultivating a deeper awareness of our implicit biases empowers us to identify and mitigate inequitable actions towards students. It can enable us to recognize microaggressions that might otherwise be overlooked due to their coherence with our own preconceived notions. Tools such as Harvard University’s Implicit Association Tests may be useful for inspiring reflection.
Describe what a microaggression is. Consider how a microaggression might impact different people in your course).[7]
Why: It can be tempting to downplay a microaggression when one does not immediately recognize it as such. Based on one’s identity and past experiences, some microaggressions may be felt strongly by certain students (or instructors) in the classroom, while others do not even realize that a microaggression has occurred. By being attuned to what a microaggression is, perhaps drawing on a definition such as the one in the article introduction, you can start to recognize when they occur. You can also share this with your class and remind students that it’s our collective responsibility to be aware, open, and responsive.
Practice distinguishing between intent and impact. Good or neutral intentions can result in harmful impacts.[7][8]
Why: When a microaggression occurs, the person who spoke or acted out the microaggression may focus on what they were intending to do, which may be neutral or positive (e.g., “I didn’t mean it that way!” or “I was just curious about…”). While intent is important, focusing on it can distract from acknowledging the actual impact of the microaggression on the person(s) who received it.
Reflect on how a microaggression feels, (1) when you are the recipient of the microaggression; (2) when you realize you have made a microaggression; and (3) when you see a microaggression occur.[9][10][11]
Why: When a microaggression takes place, you will often be in one of these roles. Reflecting ahead of time on how it might feel to inhabit each role can help you anticipate how you might feel in the moment, so you can both prepare yourself for those feelings and consider how you will work with (or despite) them. For instance, if you imagine you might feel helpless, shocked, short of breath, defensive, or unable to think clearly, how might you manage these feelings when a microaggression actually takes place?
Develop your ability to respond to microaggressions through practice or reflection).[12][13] For instance, you can practice by brainstorming how you might respond if one of these microaggressions took place in your classroom, then consider the responses that other teachers shared on the webpage.[14]
Why: Practice doesn’t always make perfect, but it does tend to bring improvement. Having rehearsal opportunities gives you chances to: try out phrasing, recognize what microaggression situations you find particularly challenging, reflect on your own identity in relation to a given microaggression (and if/how that may inform your response), and invite feedback from others.
References
[1]Bowen, C. L., Hudson, H., Austin, S. J., Landaiche, C., Peters, A. M. K., Salom, M. F. C., & Morand, B. (2022). The development and implementation of “Class Community Norms” to facilitate learning in a social justice-oriented classroom. IEEE Xplore.
[2]University of Denver Center for Multicultural Excellence. (2009). Microaggressions in the classroom.
[3]University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT). (2021). Guidelines for classroom interactions.
[4]Kishimoto, K. (2018). Anti-racist pedagogy: From faculty’s self-reflection to organizing within and beyond the classroom. Race Ethnicity and Education, 21(4), 540-554.
[5]Oleson, K. C. (2023). Promoting inclusive classroom dynamics in higher education: a research-based pedagogical guide for faculty. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group.
[6]Sue, D. W., Alsaidi, S., Awad, M. N., Glaeser, E., Calle, C. Z., & Mendez, N. (2019). Disarming racial microaggressions: Microintervention strategies for targets, white allies, and bystanders. American Psychologist, 74(1), 128-142.
[7]University of Washington Center for Teaching and Learning. (2022). Addressing microaggressions in the classroom.
[8]University of British Columbia Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology. (2019). Microaggressions in the classroom.
[9]Ackerman-Barger, K., Jacobs, N. (2020). The microaggressions triangle model: A humanistic approach to navigating microaggressions in health professions schools. Academic Medicine 95(12), 28-32.
[10]Bleuer, J. (2021, January 29). Addressing microaggressions in the classroom: Attuning to power dynamics and nervous systems. Presentation at McGill University: Montreal, Canada.
[11]Thurber, A., & DiAngelo, R. (2018). Microaggressions: Intervening in three acts. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work 27(1), 17-27.
[12]Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M. B., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.
[13]Sue, D. W., Lin, A. I., Torino, G. C., Capodilupo, C. M., & Rivera, D. P. (2009). Racial microaggressions and difficult dialogues on race in the classroom. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 15(2), 183-190.
[14]University of British Columbia. (2021). Open case studies: Microaggressions in the online classroom.
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