Page 275 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

Racial Dialogues in the Classroom 249

by an acknowledgment by teachers about their own personal limitations
and intense anxieties, similar to those expressed by White students (fear of
appearing racist, fear of realizing their biases, and resistance to recognizing
their own prejudices). In addition, they noted the following concerns.
1. Inability to recognize racial microaggressions and uncertainty and confusion
about the characteristics of a diffi cult dialogue. When a difficult racial dialogue

is occurring, many White teachers admit to being mystifi ed and uncertain
about the interactional dynamics. They know something is amiss, that tension
has increased in the classroom, and that students of color and White students
have taken a confrontational stance. They are at a loss to explain the dynamics
and often misdiagnose the problem.
2. Trouble understanding and dealing with intense student emotions and their
own. In many respects, White teachers overidentify with the feelings of White
students because many of the emotions expressed are similar to the ones they
experience. Fear, anxiety, anger, defensiveness, guilt, and helplessness can
occur quickly and in a “ garbled fashion ” that interferes with understanding

and teaching. The teacher may become overwhelmed and flooded with feel-
ings that constrict their perceptions and ability to respond appropriately. The
teacher may try to dilute, diminish, or “ cut off the dialogue ” for fear that it

will turn into a physical fight among students.
3. Fear of losing classroom control. Teachers are expected to manage classroom
interactions, to maintain a conducive learning environment, and to make sure
proper respect exists among all students. Difficult dialogues on race can

produce intense confrontations between students and result in intense hostility.
Several teachers spoke about being paralyzed when students became so upset
that they leave the room, or burst into tears.
4. Deep sense of personal failure and inadequacies. Avoidance by teachers of
race topics is often motivated by past experiences of failure and personal
questioning about one ’ s teaching competencies. The sense of disappointment
in themselves occurred because of their unsuccessful attempts to facilitate
racial dialogues.
5. Feelings of incompetence and lack of knowledge and skills to effectively intervene.
A very common admission from teachers was that of not possessing the expe-

rience, knowledge, or teaching strategies to facilitate a difficult dialogue on
race. In coping with race topics, they admitted to ignoring it in class, making
sure it was discussed only on a cognitive level, or playing a passive role in
class and “ letting students take over. ”

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