My previous post detailed how to launch a successful classroom discussion. Here are some scenarios you might want to proceed with caution in the classroom. A discussion with students can be among a teacher’s most memorable experiences in the classroom. They are certainly never boring.
- Political issues
You might want to look at your contract to see how your employer or district defines speech for both you and your students. Most districts discourage teachers from openly discussing politics and professing private opinions. If you have a good relationship with your students, they are bound to ask how you feel about sensitive subjects, especially during election years.
I always move the students’ question to the universal and make a plug for voting. I say, “Thanks for asking how I feel about that subject (abortion, gun control, etc.). I am grateful that we live in a country where we can vote for people who support our views.”
Another way to elicit student responses about controversial topics is to use the Imago method. You can always respond to the student using a mirror technique, “What I heard you say is that you wanted to know what I think about gun control. Did I get you? Is there more about that?” You can call on other students to answer and gently steer the discussion between students. This way, you have validated the student by showing him or her that you heard the question. You just didn’t answer it.
- School policy
You don’t agree with your administration or school district’s rules, but as the adult in charge, you must implement them. Dress code is always a touchy subject amongst students. Students need to talk about school policy to understand it. It is not your job to weigh in on how you feel, personally, especially if you privately disagree with a policy. However, you can bring in the information that students lack to understand the overarching practice.
For example, I don’t care about the dress code at my school. Girls get in trouble for their clothing choices more often than boys. Some male teachers do not feel comfortable discussing the clothing of their female students lest they be accused of looking at their girl students’ bodies. Thus, boys end up wearing soccer shorts to class with no repercussions and the girls are called to the office to change their clothes by female administrators and female teachers. Make sure if an impromptu discussion on school policy arises that students leave the discussion with a clear understanding of the school and district’s regulations. You can provide background on laws; for example, students don’t always know that their freedom of speech has been defined and limited by a few high profile legal cases-
- Student Manipulation
Finally, if you don’t have a discussion planned -perhaps a quiz- and students launch into a discussion, make sure they aren’t using it as a ploy to get out of the previously announced activity. If you find yourself running long or talked into too many discussions, reflect on your leadership as the facilitator of the classroom. Maybe they didn’t do the reading, and an assertive student is purposely trying to get you off track.
If this happens once, it might be ok especially if it is a teachable moment. If it happens a second time, students have figured out a weakness in your classroom management strategies. You can validate the student, “I appreciate that you want to talk about the fight in the hallway, but we need to do the quiz first. How about you all discuss the fight with a partner while I pass out the quiz and if there is time, we will discuss it after everyone turns in the work.” This way, you are respecting students’ need to talk about issues in the environment you have created, but you have kept to your agenda. Make sure you follow up with a discussion as well.
For more resources on robust classroom discussions, you might like to read: