Sensitive issues in the classroom

Case study

In class, a spirited altercation arises between two students. One student is a fierce advocate of vaccination. He thinks the government should make vaccination compulsory. A student comes out against this. She thinks that making vaccination compulsory is very dangerous. Such a thing belongs in a dictatorship and not in a democracy, she believes.

“Why should people get sick because others don’t want to vaccinate?” the other student shouts. Within a short time, the conversation derails. The students face each other. It is clear that they are talking past each other and do not understand each other. By now, there is unrest in the classroom.

What do we mean by sensitive issues?

Society is polarising. Oppositions are becoming sharper and people are regularly diametrically opposed to each other. Tolerating ‘the other’ is sometimes a long way off. With the project ‘Discussing sensitive issues in the classroom’ we aim to connect people and cultivate tolerance.

Important questions for teachers facing sensitive issues are:

• How do you deal with this reality as a teacher?
• How do you give space and direction to discussions?
• How do you deal with polarising and complex situations?
• How to ensure that all students feel safe to express their views?
• How to research and discuss truth-telling from different sources?
• How do you ensure a balance between your personal and professional views?

Identity

Sensitive issues are not just sensitive. This is because they are usually deeply connected to our identity. It is a great challenge, and at the same time an incredibly important quality, to engage with another person on the basis of equality. Especially if that other person sees the world fundamentally differently. Or holds a view that you might consider ‘incorrect’ or ‘reprehensible’.

The education of the future emphasises learning how to handle and positively appreciate these differences. Society and employers attach increasing importance to this.

Discussing sensitive issues in the classroom requires something from teachers and students. It requires the necessary training to develop an open attitude. This creates the right conditions for a good and sustainable conversation about sensitive issues.

Extra information: Purpose of the project

The aim of the project ‘Discussing sensitive issues in the classroom’ is threefold. The project aims at mutual understanding, knowledge sharing, professionalisation.

1. 1. Mutual understanding
      This involves creating mutual understanding between students and teachers, and their willingness to learn from each other. Confronting dissenters then involves questions such as, ‘Who are we? And how do we deal with others who have a fundamentally different view of who ‘we’ are?’
   2. Knowledge sharing
      There is a lot of knowledge within HU institutes and services about diversity, inclusion and dealing with polarisation. The project brings this knowledge together, and lets lecturers and students share knowledge with each other.
   3. Professionalisation
      The project connects to existing expertise. It also develops more activities and products for professionalisation and expertise of HU lecturers and students. These include knowledge development, skills and attitudes in areas such as freedom of expression, non-violent communication, openness to diversity and equality, and deep democracy.

• If you cannot work it out or want to spar with someone about the best approach, you can also contact a confidant. This can be low-threshold without anyone else knowing about it. You can also refer the student to a confidant. Overview of confidants (hu. nl)
  

  How can you as a counsellor support with sensitive issues?

  DO’S

  When discussing a sensitive issue, the facilitator can do several things. This starts with awareness of one’s own judgements and needs. Are there perhaps ‘sacred cows’ that are difficult for you to discuss? It is quite a difference whether a sensitive issue is raised spontaneously in class, or whether the facilitator deals with it purposefully.

  • Use forms of discussion
    In either case, special conversation forms can be used in the classroom, such as those used in methods like Deep Democracy and socratic dialogue. These conversation forms train on different skills and attitudes. For example, temporarily suspending one’s own point of view, or positively valuing other points of view. If a sensitive issue comes up unexpectedly in class, give sufficient space to the emotions and views.
  • Insert time-out
    Are tempers running high and is a group discussion compromising safety? At all times, the facilitator can insert a time-out. During this intervention, you can establish the ‘rules of the game’ together so that everyone can have a pleasant conversation. The key is to conduct the conversation in such a way as to learn from each other. Central question: what is needed to do this?
  • Evaluation
    After the continuation of the conversation, it is crucial to conclude with an evaluation. How did the participants experience the conversation? What went well and what can be improved?

  Follow-up case study

  The teacher interrupts the war of words and takes a time-out. The teacher then engages the students in a conversation about ‘How do we have the conversation with each other?’ Do we want to keep interrupting each other and raising our voices? Of course, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. It’s also okay to get feisty. But if we are really open to learning from each other, and from other opinions, it is desirable to listen to each other. Let the other person speak up, and express expectations about what is a fine way to have a conversation. After this, the teacher discusses coercion and compulsion in vaccination in a nuanced way with the class. Various arguments pass the review. The students do not agree with each other, but by the end of the lesson they have empathised with each other’s point of view. During the evaluation, despite the disagreement, the two students say they understand each other a little better.

  Extra support for the teacher

  Training on sensitive issues in the classroom is offered through TLN. Check out the website tln.hu.nl or email tln@hu.nl

  Links

  https://husite.nl/diversiteit-en-inclusie/wie-zijn-wij-copy/initiatieven/