Microaggressions Interrupted: Confronting Racism by Addressing Microaggressions

Microaggressions, Interrupted

Dear Teacher and Counselor Friends,

Microaggressions, or those brief acts of discrimination that many minorities and marginalized groups experience on a daily basis, convey a message to students that they are, in fact, marginalized or somehow “other than”.

Whether intentional or unintentional many students find it necessary to learn effective ways of managing and navigating life in and outside of educational spaces that are riddled with microaggressions. The successful management of these acts can have long lasting positive effects on the social, emotional, and academic success of students. Conversely, if not properly handled, microaggressions can take their toll on one’s mental and emotional health. Survival tools can help children, adolescents, and even adults appropriately and comfortably confront and interrupt microaggressions in educational spaces where they expect to feel safe and valued.

After years of observing behaviors of children and adults in education, this lesson plan , which can be broken into smaller parts, was created out of my search for an effective solution for teaching my children to interrupt racism . It is intended for use at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels, but is very appropriate for staff inservices and administrative work. At the heart of the lesson is research, but also years of personal experiences with dealing with multiple, daily microaggressions.

At the collegiate level in 3 hour courses it can be successfully taught in one class. But for middle and high school students I recommend it be taught in 1-3 parts .

If teaching in 2 days, stop after letter C on day 1. Then complete the rest of the lesson on day 2.

If teaching in 3 days, use the following guide

Day 1- Stop after letter B of the whole group discussion.

Day 2-Stop after letter D of the whole group discussion.

Day 3-Complete the rest of the lesson.

*This lesson is also an excellent background knowledge builder for students in very homogenous communities who aren’t afforded the opportunities to interact with, know, and learn from people from diverse backgrounds.

  With Love,

  Laura Williams, The Fancy Counselor