Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

An example of a microaggression that I have dealt with happened in previous school years. I am an Intervention Specialist in an intensive needs classroom, so my students spend the majority of the school day with me. Even though they are in my classroom, they are assigned to a general education classroom for homeroom. I have worked with many general education classroom teachers who assume that they are not responsible for them because they are in my class. Even though these students are on my caseload and in my classroom, the general education teacher is also their teacher. I have also worked with teachers who think that just because a child is on an IEP or in my classroom, they cannot do things or are not as capable as the nondisabled peers. 

All of these examples make me feel frustrated. These students may learn differently and need more supports, but they are more than capable of learning. They are also just as much a part of their classroom as they are mine. 

My observation experiences affected my perception of the effects of stereotypes on people by reinforcing how judging someone or assuming something about someone can impact what you think of them before you even get to know them. Already having that mindset makes it difficult for one to see past it.