During a microaggression: Assess and respond as well as you can
Not sure what a microaggression is? Here’s an explanation.
When a microaggression occurs in the classroom, assess the situation and consider using one or more of the following strategies to help you respond in the moment. Microinterventions in the classroom can take some of the following forms.
Pause and breathe.[1] Become aware of your physical responses: how is your body physically responding to this situation?
Why: Pausing and focusing on breathing helps draw awareness to short or shallow breathing that may occur in situations of high stress. This ensures that you are breathing deeply enough, enabling a more calm and conscious response.
Acknowledge the moment.[1] You may wish to slow down or stop the conversation, or to give students a few minutes to collect their thoughts or free-write about what has happened.
Why: When a microaggression takes place, a range of emotions can occur. Taking a moment to think things through and to observe and validate the emotions and reactions of others in the classroom can be helpful.[2] This avoids jumping to analysis and problem-solving before recognizing how people are feeling and why they are feeling that way.
Ask for clarification: If you are not certain that a microaggression has occurred but feel that something is wrong, take a moment to collect your thoughts.[2][3] You can ask the speaker(s) questions to gain understanding. (e.g., “I want to be sure I understand what you’re saying. Are you saying that…?”) Then, carefully listen to their response(s).[4]
Why: It is not always clear that a microaggression has taken place. Asking clarifying questions helps to gather additional information to understand what happened. You can also consider instances where language barriers or differences in cultural context may result in instances of miscommunication or misinterpretation.
Return to the classroom community norms. Support students’ critical reflection on what has just happened.[1][5]
Why: Class norms can provide guidance on what to do when someone says or does something inconsistent with how you all have agreed to act together. Revisiting these norms helps to depersonalize the moment, as all members of the class had agreed to those norms previously.
Describe what happened using non-accusatory language that shares what the person did, without evaluating what it might seem to mean about them as a person.[6] For example, someone could say “I noticed that you used language that …” rather than “You are being sexist.”
Why: This can help promote an open and generative discussion and keep the focus on the issue. If the person feels judged or that your response reflects on them globally as an individual rather than on their words or actions in a moment, it is likely to lead to a more defensive response and less openness to discussion.
Acknowledge the impact of the microaggression.[1][4] This could involve saying, for instance, “I realize you may have meant that as a joke, but it was offensive,” or “What you just said is hurtful because…” (adapted from p. 139).[6] Recognize that even if a microaggression was not addressed to a specific student, it may be felt deeply by students.[7]
Why: Many microaggressions are made unconsciously. It is common for the person who made the microaggression to focus on their good or neutral intention. Yet this may distract from acknowledging the actual impact of the microaggression on a classmate. Furthermore, classmates might be affected by a microaggression that does not appear to target them directly, whether based on a less known or visible aspect of their identity or because they have someone close to them who would be targeted by that microaggression.
Avoid asking students to speak on behalf of others in a group with which they identify.[2][7]
Why: Expecting a student to represent all those who have one aspect of their identity in common is neither realistic nor appropriate: it is likely not their area of expertise, and it suggests that all people who have that aspect of identity share the same perspective, rather than acknowledging the diversity within a given group.
Commit to following up and then do so, if you feel unable to respond in the moment or if you determine that the issue is better addressed individually (rather than in front of the whole class).[6][8]
Why: This communicates that you recognize a microaggression has taken place and are taking it seriously. It normalizes that one may not always have a response in the moment – microaggressions can take time to understand and process. By returning to the issue later on, you communicate that it matters.
When emotional and physiological responses are involved, it can be challenging to recall specific strategies to address a microaggression in the classroom. A mnemonic may be helpful to prompt responses in the moment. One example is the “R.A.V.E.N.” approach (p. 1).[9] It involves the following steps:
Redirect: Intervene, correct, or pull aside.
Ask probing questions for clarity: For instance, “I think I heard you say… what did you mean by that?”; “I want to make sure I understand what you were saying, were you saying that…?”
Values clarification: For instance, “You know, in this department we work hard to create a space that is safe and welcoming for all students”; “What you just said is not in alignment or consistent with our institutional values that prioritize equity and inclusion.”
Emphasize your own thoughts and feelings: For instance, “When I hear your comment, I think/feel…”; “Many people may take that to mean…”; “In my experience…”.
Next steps: Reflect and decide the next time you encounter this situation, what you might consider doing.
Read more
Brooks-Hurst, E. (2022). Responding to microaggressions in the classroom. Texas Tech University.
References
[1]University of Washington Center for Teaching and Learning. (2022). Addressing microaggressions in the classroom.
[2]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.
[3]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.
[4]Souza, T. (2017). Managing hot moments in the classroom: Concrete strategies for cooling down tension. Faculty Focus.
[5]Brookfield, S. (n.d.). Using the critical incident questionnaire.
[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]Saint Mary’s College Intercultural Center. (2023). Addressing microaggressions in the classroom.
[8]University of British Columbia Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology. (2019). Microaggressions in the classroom.
[9]Wood, J. L., & Harris, F. (2019). R.A.V.E.N. approach for addressing microaggressions.
While this resource is accessible worldwide, McGill University is on land which has served and continues to serve as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. Teaching and Learning Services acknowledges and thanks the diverse Indigenous peoples whose footsteps mark this territory on which peoples of the world now gather. This land acknowledgment is shared as a starting point to provide context for further learning and action.
McLennan Library Building 3415 McTavish Street Suite MS-12(ground level), Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C8 | Tel.: 514-398-6648 | Fax: 514-398-8465 | Email: tls@mcgill.ca