Microaggressions to Misbehavior: How School to Prison Pipeline Begins - The Educators Room
Wow, I'm surprised he did so well on the test.
He's not ghetto like those other boys.
Quite simply, these micro-messages dress up as "great intentions" or "truths" but are dangerous at the core. This danger lurks in the ignorance that trails from these seemingly innocuous statements. For students, especially students of color, microaggressions can be like darts repeatedly thrown their direction with lasting effects unbeknownst to their peers.....and even teachers. I know all too well what it's like to be a student of color in a predominately White school. I endured microaggressions long before I knew what they were. Myself, like many other African-American students, wondered why my correct grammar was a surprise.....why my manners were an anomaly.....and why "being intelligent" was praiseworthy rather than a given. As adults, experiencing microaggressions is nothing short of annoying and frustrating; however, as adults, we have some tools to cope. On the contrary, students often lack these coping mechanisms to navigate these messages.
Imagine being an Asian or Indian student and the facing the disappointment when you don't do well because you're Asian or Indian and you are "supposed" to excel academically. Right?
It's clear that what we think about children and how we communicate our thoughts and expectations have grave effects on who they are.....and who they may become. Expectations can be communicated verbally and non-verbally. We know that students are extremely perceptive and intuitive. Children are able to understand certain vibes and emotions even when they cannot fully articulate what is happening. Point blank. Kids know when something is up. Having observed a wide array of classrooms over the years, I have learned that students are indeed picking up on microaggressions, yet they lack the terms to communicate such.
My teacher doesn't like me.
My teacher doesn't think I can do the work.
My teacher thinks I'm lazy.
My teacher thinks I'm bad.
...they may be feeling the weight of microaggressions. Yes, are there some students who may use these phrases to deflect their own irresponsibility? Sure. However, I have noticed that there is an overwhelming amount of truth to these statements. Often, the stories behind these statements are crushing and you realize that very few are using microaggressions as an excuse to underperform. It wasn't until I left the four walls of my middle school English classroom, that I was able to fully see the effects of microaggressions on student behavior and academic achievement. I would witness White students exhibit disrespect and disregard for their teacher's classroom and instruction and simultaneously watch a Black student be reprimanded for asking for a pencil (because no one should be talking, right?). It was common to see students of color kicked out of class and sitting in the hallway. What were their "crimes"?
Teaching is not even close to easy and I understand being in the throes of a large load of students, with varying levels, different personalities, and even the joy of middle school defiance. Witnessing these situations daily, I began to wonder....what's the reason? Why are the same students being kicked out of class or reprimanded more than others? I initially chalked it up to a tolerance level. I had seen worse in my previous teaching experiences, so talking or having candy wasn't a grave enough "crime" for me to remove a student from instruction. Of course one cannot allow one student to derail a class, but when there is a trend or the same groups of students being disciplined, we must look further. We must be more reflective in our practices.
In the words of the prolific writer, James Baldwin, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." The School-to-Prison Pipeline is not a myth, and if we don't face the fact that the pipeline begins with schools, we will not ever fully change the trajectory of these cycles.
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Craig Junker says	
I think every educator has been guilty of micro-aggressions, even when not being aware of doing so. We need to be careful in our comments, especially when communicating with an under-represented voice. Holding high expections for every student; designing engaging lessons where students are talking, doing, and interacting; using your personality to build relationships; making it a point to recognize students' hard work and positive contributions, these all make sense to me. Teachers have to avoid expressions that demonstrate a lack of faith in their students.