Posted on 09/23/2016 7:02:36 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
A campaign initiated by the National Association for Bilingual Education and the Santa Clara County Office of Education says a teacher who mispronounces a student’s name is causing a negative emotional state that can lead to poor academic success.
The campaign, titled “My Name, My Identity: A Declaration of Self,” says “Did you know that mispronouncing a student’s name negates the identity of the student? This can lead to anxiety and resentment which can hinder academic progress.”
Rita Kohli, an assistant professor of education at the University of California at Riverside, told NEA Today – the publication of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers’ union – that overlooking the mispronunciation of a student’s name is a “microaggression” that can sabotage the learning process.
“Names have incredible significance to families, with so much thought, meaning and culture woven into them,” Kohli says. “When the child enters school and teachers – consciously or not – mispronounce, disregard or change the name, they are in a sense disregarding the family and culture of the students as well.”
Kohli and Daniel Solorzano conducted a study in 2012 called “Teachers, Please Learn Our Names!: Racial Microagressions and the K-12 Classrooms.” They found that mispronouncing students’ names affected their social and emotional state.
“Students often felt shame, embarrassment and that their name was a burden,” Kohli says. “They often began to shy away from their language, culture and families.”
She adds that teachers who mispronounce a student’s name tend to do so because they find it challenging “to center cultures outside of their own.”
Fortunately for most, Kohli cuts some slack for teachers who mispronounce a student’s name on the first attempt.
Meanwhile, education blogger Jennifer Gonzalez refers to the mispronunciation of a student’s name as “a tiny act of bigotry.” She continues:
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Asjha
Dekekisha
Jauqula
Schmoca
Tnonealyer
Markeithisia
Lemonjello and Orangejello (they were twins)
Poonie
Chakowby
Controndra
Tyquesta
InFini
Dontarrious
My favorite is the story of the teacher confronted with La-a
Mother explains: It’s Ladasha, the dash don’t be silent.
Raetheon
Tykwando
Niquil
Klorene
Florene
Zenon
Afrodeseac
And any other word appearing on a box car.
“Did you know that mispronouncing a student’s name negates the identity of the student?”
I can guarantee that only happens if the student has excess melanin
As a high school educator, as well as a college instructor, I intentionally mispronounce names, especially if they are way to silly, and you know the ones. They get all pd off, and then I ask them to pronounce my ultra nordic last name, end of argument, but a lot of ha ha ha for me.
The amount of microaggressions I probably saw while living with rugby and football players in first year residence back in 1989 would probably send many young students today into extensive psychotherapy.
“Students often felt shame, embarrassment and that their name was a burden,”
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Which is why parents should not hang ridiculous monikers on them.
Yes, of course we must be multilingual. Just another ploy to split Americans apart. Seems to me these elites should read about the Tower of Babel to see the end result their efforts will bring about.
The education system is a micro aggression.
Sometimes I think these professors are trying to express things in the way that will most annoy conservatives so they drive conservatives away.
Microaggressions, bah.
Simply say, “Carelessly mispronouncing someone’s name is rude.” Everyone gets that.
How did anyone survive gym class? I think the teacher butchered everyones name just for fun.
I don’t think this has anything to do with being multi-lingual. These names aren’t derived from any language or culture. I’m convinced there is a random syllable generator in the basement of urban hospitals, that spits out these names.
I begin to feel sympathy for some of the European countries where the Birth Registrars can reject a name as not fitting their standards. Using the example above, would it be obvious or anything except malicious for a child to be named "La a" and called "Lablanka". Frankly, I believe that this is MACRO-agression on the PARENT's part!
Well played.
Then I have been microagressed all my life. Virtually no one has pronounced my Polish surname correctly.
My last name has always been hard for people to pronounce. I never felt aggressed by it.
Insisting upon having an unpronounceable name, and then being critical of those who mispronounce it, is the height of hubris. It is a “Macroaggression”.
Exactly!
Name your kids Bill, Tom, Pat, James, Dan, and Frank, like some of mine!
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