All posts by Melissa

Thinking about “Colorblind Racism” and Microagressions

Creating Classroom Community, Urban Adolescents

“All focus group participants discussed experiencing various forms of racial microaggressions. Some of the injuries were related to a sense that many White people in the community pretend not to notice race or color and will do or say hurtful things without realizing that they are causing injury.”
(Yull et al. 2014)

I found this particularly interesting, as there does seem to be a sort of myth floating around that pretending to ignore race altogether means one cannot be racist (or say or do anything that could be considered racist.) Continue reading Thinking about “Colorblind Racism” and Microagressions →

You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup

Reaching Adolescents and How to Respond

“Another teacher was forced to leave the profession for a while, due to her own mental health issues, but felt she had to hide the true cause of her need to step away.”
Weston et al. (2018)

What struck me about this article was the brief mention of mental health struggles that many teachers come to face and how this relates to student mental health issues. It was a reminder that mental health is not just a concern for students, but for teachers as well, which is in turn a reminder that students and teachers are both human beings with very real mental health and self-care needs that must be met before success can be achieved in school. Continue reading You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup →

Integrating Sexual Minority Themes/Perspectives in a Curriculum

Friendship, Love, & Sexuality

“Since it is not in the official academic curriculum of most schools, unlike curricular representations of ethnic or racial minorities, discussions of homosexuality fall to the wills of teachers in determining the level of representation homosexuality will have in their classrooms. This is a clear example of how the hidden curriculum bleeds into the overt curriculum, causing a lack of visibility, understanding and representation of sexual minority perspectives.”
Castro & Sujak (2012)

I hadn’t thought of the different amounts of representation different minority groups get within a given curriculum until now. Whereas heterosexual youth can find representations of their own sexuality quite easily (in literature, media, advertisements, etc.), sexual minority youth face a lack of representation and, consequently, a lack of acceptance and understanding. Continue reading Integrating Sexual Minority Themes/Perspectives in a Curriculum →

Transgender People… are People

Gender Socialization & Identities

“Transgender students need to feel that they have a space where they are safe and
accepted without having to justify or defend who they are. Of paramount importance is
respecting the gender identity of the student as misgendering a student can cause a
great deal of distress. Building relationships with others within a safe, accepting
environment can be a crucial component of helping transgender students feel engaged
and committed in school while they are navigating personal identity issues as well as
the formation of positive self-esteem.”
(Kurt 2017)

Transgender students are students, and, like all students, deserve to feel safe, respected, and supported in school by faculty and peers in order to get the most out of their school experience. Somehow, I feel like when people think of the word “transgender,” they think of politics, belief systems, legalities, when in reality, transgender refers first and foremost to people. Continue reading Transgender People… are People →

What is an American, anyway?

Newcomers & Perpetual Foreigners

“No matter the length of time South Asian American individuals and families have resided in the United States, they are perceived by many to be foreign, dangerous, and unaccepting of American values.”
Bajaj et al (2016) pg. 490

The term “American” can be a complicated one, especially when put into the perspective of the concept of the “perpetual foreigner.” What does it mean to be American, and when can a person consider herself American? Does being American have anything to do with length of residency, immigration status, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, or values? If the United States is truly the “melting pot” or “salad bowl” of the world, why are some people inherently barred from claiming this identity? Continue reading What is an American, anyway? →