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Words and Phrases that Offend Students
(Because of limited space, it is not feasible to list all of the phrases that offend minority students. Most of the ones listed here have been found to offend Black students, but they may be just as offensive to all minorities.)
| 1. "You have a very good score for a Black student." | 13. A white instructor about Puerto Rican students: 'Why should I teach them? They'll never learn." |
| 2. "You are a good employee for a minority person." | 14. A white instructor to a Black graduate assistant: 'You're different from most Blacks I know.' |
| 3. "This is a good salary for a female."' | 15. A white instructor to a Black student: 'Why did you come here to college? There is nothing here for you.' |
| 4. "Your statement is true, but a little strong for this department." | 16. To a work-study student: 'Do you like this better than housework? |
| 5. Upon announcing ones intention to integrate a job situation: 'Of course, we will make sure we hire a qualified Black.' | 17. To a minority student: 'A 'C' is a good grade for you. Of all the Black students in the class, you made the highest grade.' |
| 6. A white instructor to a Black student: 'I don't understand what you people want' | 18. A white instructor to a history class: 'Slavery was not that bad for Blacks; it was better than unemployment." |
| 7. Referring to a Black man: 'You know the boy I mean.' | 19. An instructor to his class: 'With the influx of wetbacks, the welfare rolls will increase.' |
| 8. An instructor to a Black student: 'If I let you take the book home, will you return it to me in good shape?' | 20. A financial aid officer to a minority student: 'You don't look like you need financial aid." |
| 9. A white person to a Black person: 'Some of my best friends are Black.' | 21. An instructor to a Black student: 'Are you sure you wrote this paper? It is well put together for a Black student.' |
| 10. About any group: 'They all do that.' | 22. A counselor, adviser, or instructor to a Black student: 'Are your parents Black? You surely look different from most Blacks that I know. I mean you are very light-skinned.' |
| 11. A minority looks for a work-study job at 7:30 am.: 'You should have gotten here five minutes sooner; we just hired someone for that job.' | 23. Instructor to a minority student: 'That's the trouble with you people; you think we owe you something.' |
| 12. A white instructor to an American Indian student: "I think your people have made great progress." | 24. Words and phrases you should never use with minority students (you should be equally careful of their, use at any time): |
| Words/Phrases Groups Offensive To: It is a known fact that all persons are capable of prejudice, hostility, and discrimination, and this has been found in every walk of life: government, business and industry, homes, and family. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to assume that educators are also prejudiced and hoard feelings of nontrustworthiness, irresponsibility, nonproductivity and a lack of intelligence toward Blacks and other minorities. According to most psychologists and teacher training institutions, people who believe negative things about a group of people react negatively toward people from that group and many times do so unconsciously. The following check-list is to help educators identify behavior they may display in and out of the classroom that is interpreted by students as prejudicial, hostile, and discriminatory. The list is not totally inclusive and is not designed to accuse anyone of prejudice, hostility, or discriminatory actions. Its purpose is to make you aware of student perceptions and the messages you may be sending to students by your actions. |
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1. Do you set different standards of achievement for Blacks and minority students?
2. When awarding grades, are the lowest grades always awarded to Blacks and minority students?
3. Do you find yourself talking and teaching only to one group all the time?
4. Is your eye contact, words of praise, and encouragement almost always directed at one group?
5. Are your examples of productivity and high achievement exclusively one group?
6. Do you use teaching materials and illustrations that do not include Blacks and minorities?
7. Do you find yourself working on projects with only one group?
8. When the topic of Blacks and minorities is discussed in class, do you treat the topic as if it is not an important one?
9. Do you acknowledge outstanding work from Blacks and minority students?
10. Do you call on minorities other than when the question is minority related?
11. Do you systematically avoid questions on race, prejudice, discrimination, and the horrors of slavery?
12. Do you generalize the behavior of one minority student to the entire group?
13. Do you consistently get the name and identity of one Black student or minority confused with another?
14. When discussing sports, do you always turn to a minority student?
15. When discussing crime and punishment and welfare recipients, do you always turn to Blacks and minorities?
16. When discussing illegal aliens in this country, do you always turn to Hispanic students?
17. Do you associate with faculty professionals from only one group?
18. When in the faculty lounge, do you provide and/or support racial joking?
19. When asked to recommend students for scholarships and employment, do you ever recommend a Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, except in those cases where the application states?
20. Do you become angry when colleagues suggest that you are prejudiced, hostile, and discriminate against Blacks and minority students?
If you find that you have answered 'yes' to many of these questions, you may want to discuss your behavior with a colleague whom you trust, or attend one of the many classes on instructional training and sensitivity.
Note-Not all minority students are affected by these items and actions in the same ways and to the same degree. There are many minority students who have strong role models at home and positive self-concepts.
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