Teachers can address blatant breaches by calling them what they are, acknowledging the impact of the comment, and questioning the thoughts behind the comments.
Potential sentence stems are available below:
It is likely that after naming a comment as racist or sexist, the student may become defensive or present feelings of guilt. The participant may emphasize that they didn’t mean the comment to be offensive, but it is important to prioritize the impact of the comment versus the intent.
Sue (2015) suggests some of the following strategies for you to use if a student’s feelings are distracting from the conversation and to help get the conversation back on track in the moment:
Participant says, “Why aren’t we talking about the discrimination women/LGBTQ community/people with disabilities face?”
“_________, those are important topics and today we are focused on race and its impact. Are you feeling uncomfortable? What about the discussion has you wanting to divert the conversation elsewhere?”
Participant sighs loudly, rolls their eyes, and/or physically turns away from the conversation.
“_________, I noticed you _________ (describe the action). What’s going on?
Student/participant begins shouting at you as a teacher/facilitator. They are loudly expressing their discomfort and disdain at the conversation.
Student/Participant starts shouting at you as a teacher/facilitator. They are being violent or rude to you or participants.
“_________, our expectations include treating participants and our space with respect and your words and actions are harming this space. We can speak about the feelings you’re experiencing while following our agreements, or you can excuse yourself and return when you’re able to follow those agreements.”
If they choose to discuss according to the expectations, follow steps listed above in acknowledging the statement and questioning the thoughts behind the comments.