Yesterday, I presented on Steele and Aronson’s stereotype threat with a presentation to faculty and staff, “How stereotypes affect achievement in every school.” The professional development day allowed faculty and staff to choose two workshops to attend; as such, I presented twice.
Just as with classes, each session had a different energy. By and large, everyone was engaged and interested in – and open to – the topic, judging by nonverbal cues that every teacher learns to read. Of course, each session had a skeptic or two, just as every class of high school students does. Where I could, I tried to answer their questions and concerns, but, at a certain point, I couldn’t let their issues sidetrack the session for everyone else.
I was initially quite worried about the presentation, not usually not ever presenting on issues of diversity and inclusion. I will share whatever feedback I get from the Director of Professional Development, but, personally, I feel the sessions went quite well — certainly better than I had expected in my stress-dreams. What I worry about most is how I handled the skeptics in the sessions. I have been told by my principal that teachers find me “scary,” and so I’m worried about having reinforced that perception while addressing the skeptics in these two stereotype threat sessions. I worry about being perceived as an “intellectual bully,” again, as I’ve been called. As I think about it more, and if I’m more honest with myself, I’m worried about how the idea of stereotype threat and the specific interventions that can be incorporated into institutional and classroom practices will be perceived as a result of being presented by me.