A microaggression I experienced this week was at school. The entire student population gets free breakfast in the morning. One of the students was saying that they didn't like the choices that were being served on that particular day. One of the other teachers said to me "these children are so ungrateful and they should be happy that they are even getting breakfast. It is free what do they expect".
I was shocked to hear this. I understand that it seems ungrateful, but they are children and they don't understand that the reason they are getting breakfast at school is because their parents don't make enough money.
I have learned that as teachers we really need to be mindful of what we say, as well as, how we say it. Sometimes the tone of our voice can be misconstrued. If students overheard what the other teacher was saying their feelings would have been hurt.
3 comments:
Beth, it is unforunate that teachers who work with children forget why they are there and where the children come from.
Microaggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicates hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color. Perpetrators of microaggressions are often unaware that they engage in such communications when they interact with racial/ethnic minorities.
I can understand your frustration with the comments made. I remember as a child who received free lunch, the teacher calling everyone who had free lunch up to the desk to get their lunch ticket, which was green, while reduced lunches got blue tickets and everyone else who was buying got yellow tickets. It wasn't long before everyone figured out who got which ticket and why. I was glad that now most schools have switched to a number or card system so at least the rest of the students and the teachers do not know.
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