Leveraging Microaggressions in the Classroom as Teachable Moments

Abstract

In this article, the author examines current tensions and controversies on college and university campuses regarding microaggressions. She provides an overview of the construct and impact of microaggressions and the positions on both sides of the issue. She asserts that even with the creation of safe spaces and raising awareness about the damage microaggressions can inflict, there is no way to eliminate or ban microaggressions and that doing so would not address the underlying beliefs and biases that result in microaggressions. Instead, she argues that we need to have difficult and uncomfortable conversations that tackle microaggressions and the underlying beliefs head on. Doing so creates opportunities for learning and change in the classroom. The author provides multiple classroom vignettes, both from her own experience and those of other educators, about what this process looks like. She concludes by offering guidelines and recommendations for fostering these difficult and uncomfortable conversations in your own classroom.