How Do We Talk About Issues That Matter?
Having conversations about things that spark controversy or emotion can be difficult to navigate. It is hard when people are not equipped to handle these conversations and can shut out other people's beliefs that are different from their own. So, how do we talk about the issues that matter? Like it says in our module, Engaging in civil discourse does not mean prioritizing politeness or comfort over getting to the heart of the matter. Basically, while these conversations can be uncomfortable, it is worth putting aside our own reservations and be receptive to opinions different than our own in order to have these open discussions. We won't be able to get anywhere if we are holding so tightly to our own thoughts that we do not leave room for others to influence us. In A Letter to the Students of Color Who Were in my History Class, Dylan Wray explains how not acknowledging his privilege or bias affected the students of color in his classroom. He explains how it was easy for him as a white man to look past the hurt, trauma, and humiliation that people of color faced in history and teach the class from a white man's perspective. I think this ties in to our topic because it is hard for people to realize where they are wrong. Dylan Wray explains that it was easy for him to say he was "colorblind" rather than admit the truth. Unintentional bias leads teachers to have lower expectations of students of color than white students, and call on white students for contributions more than students of color.
One way that we can eliminate this problem is by allowing an open discussion in the classroom where students can take time to reflect on their thoughts, like in the Big Paper video where a history teacher allowed his students to silently write down their thoughts and then share them with their classmates.
i agree with what you explained, although we might have different beliefs its important we keep an open mind because maybe our mindset will change once we hear about the different opinions that others have. Allowing open discussions is also a great idea, because it allows students to openly share their opinion.
ReplyDeleteHello, your post kind of reminds me of the Freedom Writers movie and novel. Many uncomfortable topics in school to talk about usually are the controversy ones because we as teachers do not know how to go about the discussion without hurting someone else's feelings. The idea of having students write down their thoughts and share them with the class is a great idea because it can used as a brain break and gives the teacher the chance to possibly explain what is being asked or said to other students, who may not understand. I know the controversy of these topics have led teachers not express what they believe in because it can misunderstood as the teacher trying to bring the student to believe in what they do. The reason I say this is because in my highschool we tried asking our teachers what political party they were for and many would not disclose that information because it could possibly be taken the wrong way or cause arguments with other students.
ReplyDeleteHi Willow! The first thing I took note of when reading your blog post was the amount of empathy present. I think that empathy is one of, if not the most important characteristic of any teacher. This especially comes into play when topics come up in the classroom that are delicate and complicated. I loved your wording when regarding these as topics that "spark controversy or emotion". I absolutely adore the specific example you gave of allowing the students to write down their thoughts before sharing them with the class. I think the majority of the time, conversations can get out of hand because people get overwhelmed with emotions and start saying things that they do not mean. Writing down your thoughts before you say them allows people to have intense and meaningful conversations without allowing their emotions to interfere. I would like to asl what topics you think would work best for this exercise because I plan to to it in my future classroom.
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