3. Hot Button Moments

One aspect of difficult conversations is their potential to generate "hot button moments", instances where people's feelings rise (sometimes unexpectedly) to a point that threatens teaching and learning. This can occur during the discussion of issues people feel deeply about, or as a result of classroom dynamics in any field. 

While hot button moments may appear challenging at first, with the right tools they can in fact be rich and productive learning opportunities.

 

What makes a hot button moment?

Some examples of common "hot buttons" occur in these forms:

1. Microaggressions

Microaggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial, gender, sexual orientation, and religious slights and insults to the target person or group (Sue, Capodilupo, et al., 2007). For more information on microaggressions in the classroom, please see this resource from UBC's Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology.

2. Personalization of a comment

Remarks are used or interpreted as personal attacks. These comments are directed at a particular person based on someone’s initial feelings and thoughts, which are often poorly articulated and conceived.

3. Generalization

Remarks articulated as grand sweeping statements. The most common of type of “hot button” generalizations are stereotypes. Stereotypes generalize members of different groups and often involve a flawed representation of a group.

 

Watch the video below to hear students talk about microaggressions they have experienced in the classroom (or check out a longer version of this video Links to an external site.).

 

Adapted from Hot Moments in the Classroom Links to an external site. by Lee Warren and Resistance to Generalizations in the Classroom Links to an external site. by Susanne K. Bohmer Links to an external site.