Resources to Support Challenging Conversations in the Classroom

When local, national, or international events affect our students, it can be difficult to know how to best support students and navigate challenging conversations in the classroom.

• Resources in the Face of Tragedy, Conflict, and Critical Incidents: The POD network has compiled a list of resources to help faculty frame conversations and navigate hot button moments.
• Difficult Dialogues: A guide developed by Vanderbilt University to help faculty feel more confident leading difficult dialogues by encouraging reflection on how such discussions connect with larger learning goals, and by providing specific strategies and resources for creating more productive conversations in their classrooms.
• Guidelines for Discussing Difficult or High-Stakes Topics: Suggestions from the University of Michigan on planning discussions around controversial topics and responding in the moment to hot-button issues.
• Creating Community Agreements: Berkeley's Graduate Division has developed guidelines and suggested methods for creating community agreements designed to promote respectful and inclusive discussions in class.
• Strategies for Engaging with Difficult Topics, Strong Emotions, and Challenging Moments in the Classroom: A 9-page guide from the University of Oregon with suggestions for setting ground rules, activities for engaging emotions and discomfort, ways to respond to heated moments in class discussions, and ideas for syllabus statements about classroom climate, diversity, and inclusion.
• Navigating Heated, Offensive, and Tense (HOT) Moments in the Classroom: Suggestions from Columbia University on how faculty can anticipate and manage hot moments.
• Navigating Difficult Moments: Tips from Harvard University on responding in the moment to a remark or incident in the classroom that provokes strong emotional reactions.
• Better Blackboard Discussion Forums: Tips from Kathryn Schild at the University of Alaska Anchorage on getting students to engage in online discussions. The second page focuses on how to foster thoughtful online interaction on difficult topics.

If you are aware of other resources that should be listed here, please contact the CTLA.