MICROAGGRESSIONS IN THE CLASSROOM

Summary

The video explains that microaggressions are comments or actions that can insult, slight, or exclude someone because of their identity, even when the person responsible does not intend harm. They are often subtle and repeated in everyday interactions. Good intentions do not erase their impact: a remark can leave someone feeling stereotyped, disrespected, or as though they do not belong.

Three types of microaggressions

• Microassaults: Deliberate acts resembling overt discrimination, such as racial slurs, racist name-calling, or displaying swastikas or Confederate flags in a classroom.
• Microinsults: Remarks or behavior that communicate disrespect or rely on stereotypes, sometimes disguised as compliments. Examples include calling someone “smart for a Black person,” expressing surprise at a student’s academic ability, or assuming someone has a particular skill because of their ethnicity.
• Microinvalidations: Comments or actions that dismiss or deny the experiences of people from historically disadvantaged groups. Examples include brushing off a student’s wish for more Latina faculty or saying “I don’t see color,” which can erase the importance of someone’s identity and experience.

Examples raised by students

Students describe being:

• Asked whether their parents “have their papers,” whether they are “legal,” or whether they speak English well—questions that imply they are foreign or do not belong.
• Treated as representatives of an entire racial or ethnic group, or asked to translate based on their name or appearance.
• Assumed to be good at math, physically handy, or suited to a certain profession because of their background.
• Given backhanded compliments, such as being called “the least scary Black guy” or “pretty for a Black girl.”
• Overlooked or doubted in class, steered away from ambitious career goals, or praised with surprise for participating and doing well.
• Treated as threatening or expected to make others feel safe.
• Given less meaningful academic feedback because an instructor assumes they cannot handle criticism.
• Misgendered or exposed to classroom examples that presume everyone is heterosexual.

These experiences can create stress, make students feel invisible or unwelcome, and undermine their sense of belonging and opportunity to learn. Repeated stress may also affect health.

What faculty can do

The video offers practical guidance for reducing and responding to classroom microaggressions:

• Take responsibility for the classroom climate. Faculty influence whether students feel included, respected, and able to learn.
• Avoid assumptions and stereotyping. Treat students as individuals rather than as representatives of a group.
• Pay attention to routine classroom practices, including:
  • Pronouncing students’ names correctly, especially after being corrected.
  • Using students’ correct pronouns.
  • Calling on students equitably rather than overlooking women or students of color.
  • Avoiding tests or projects scheduled on religious or cultural holidays.
  • Considering whether assignments presume students have a particular socioeconomic status.
  • Avoiding heteronormative examples and assumptions about students’ partners.
• If someone is misgendered: Apologize briefly, correct the language, and move on. Do not make the apology about yourself or prolong the mistake.
• If a microaggression occurs in class: Acknowledge that a difficult or potentially hurtful comment was made, invite students to describe how they are feeling, and facilitate a respectful discussion. If no one responds, explain what you heard and model how to begin a difficult conversation.
• If you make a harmful remark yourself: Acknowledge the mistake, apologize, and invite the affected person to explain its impact from their perspective.

The video’s broader message is to get to know one another, refrain from making assumptions, and recognize that people should be accepted as individuals rather than judged by stereotypes.

Speakers and sources featured

• An unnamed faculty member or expert narrator, who defines microaggressions, explains the three categories, and discusses classroom responses.
• Multiple unnamed students and interviewees, who share experiences related to race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, and classroom treatment.
• An unnamed professor or faculty member, who describes addressing microaggressions in class and reflects on having made one.
• An unnamed transgender interviewee, who offers guidance on responding to misgendering.
• An unnamed interviewer, who asks questions that prompt participants to explain the meaning and impact of particular comments.