Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/recognizing-and-addressing-microaggressions-in-teacher-family-relationships/5022861/
Teachers, in their interactions with families, can unintentionally use words and behaviors that deliver negative and denigrating messages. These microaggressions can be subtle, at times unconscious and without intended harm, but may cause a rift in family-teacher relationships. Communicating with a learning disposition leads to a willingness to learn about the worldview of the family, and focuses on practical strategies that strengthen cross-cultural communication.
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A five-year-old girl draws a picture for a class project. Her teacher says, “Good job. You can share this with your mom tonight.” The girl pauses and responds, “I don’t have a mom.”
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A teacher asks a father, who is from Kenya, if he can come to school and speak about his village. “The kids will love to hear about the lions and elephants.” The father came from a large city in Kenya and had only seen these types of animals in the zoo.
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Well-intentioned educators who have a sincere desire to have a positive relationship with students and their families made each of these remarks. I know because the first example was something I said when I was once volunteering in a classroom. These are incidents of microaggressions, which are brief, subtle, intentional or unintentional verbal and behavioral ...