Monday, November 18, 2013
Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions
When thinking about microagressions that I have witnessed, I think about a little Hispanic boy in our school. His name is Pedro and he is in the third grade. When Pedro came to our school his English was very limited, almost non-existent. The other children were very curious about him and his heritage. Pedro would not speak very much and he seemed very shy and nervous. I do not think the other children meant any harm to him; however I do feel as though Pedro was marginalized. The children had many questions about where he came from and why he couldn't speak like they did. All of the teachers felt sorry for Pedro and tried to help him as much as possible. In the beginning, I think Pedro's self-esteem was damaged but later on the children accepted him and began to socialize with him and included him in various activities.
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Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteAs an educator we come across many different families and I think it is our job to help others especially children to understand that there are going to be people that are different then them, but we still treat them right!
LaRoyia
Amy,
ReplyDeleteChildren are naturally curious and I have definitely seen this before in several of the classes I have had. Even if it is not a child from a different culture, with any new child entering the classroom, the children want to ask 100 questions. Teaching about inclusion, diversity, cultures, customs, and all those thinks that make us different from others will hopefully help with the adaptation process. Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie
Amy,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing. As teachers we definitely need t provide opportunities for all children to be included. Children always ask lots of questions. We need to encourage this in an accepting and respectful manner.
Christina
Amy:
ReplyDeleteI go through this pretty much everyday with my students. I teach in Houston, Texas and my high school is aproximately 98% Hispanic with around 80% first generation Americans. We have some many programs that are available to assist our students, but it is up to the student to use them or not. I understand that your student is in third grade, therefore it is his teachers and admins job to assist him in that transition.
Fran Logan
Amy,
ReplyDeleteLanguage can be such a significant barrier- it is wonderful to read that Pedro was able to eventually communicate with his peers and engaged with them. So happy he is in an environment that responded to his needs!
Lisa