(Originally titled “Teaching Students to Talk Across Political Difference”)
In this Educational Leadership article, Richard Weissbourd, Glenn Manning, and Eric Torres (Harvard University) take note of the extreme political polarization of our era. Schools can’t solve this problem alone, they say, but “schools are the only institution that can, on a large scale, cultivate in young people the sensibilities and skills to engage constructively with those with opposing ideologies – to view them not as stock characters or villains, but as complex individuals – and seek common ground.” The authors offer the following strategies for addressing hot topics that will inevitably find their way into classrooms:
- Establish norms. Ground rules for debating controversial issues are best adopted with student input and should include seeking to understand others’ intentions and challenging ideas, not people.
- Use humanizing classroom activities. Relationship- and culture-building interactions early in the school year help students see those on “the other side” as people, creating a climate where difficult conversations feel safer. An example: a scavenger hunt in which students find fun and meaningful facts about their classmates and teachers. In classrooms where students share the same political orientation, different points of view can be introduced through readings and visiting speakers.
- Help students get better at asking questions and listening. These are especially important skills when addressing fraught topics.
- Build a common understanding of facts. “Agreeing on a shared set of practices for investigating reality,” say Weissbourd, Manning, and Torres, “– such as identifying criteria for valid news sources, developing a process for reconciling conflicting information, and making explicit how evidence supports one’s views – can help clarify points of disagreement and dispel claims that lack support.” It’s also important to teach about cognitive biases that lead people to ignore disconfirming information.
- Uphold basic principles and rights. Moral relativism – the belief that everyone has a right to their opinion and no one can claim their opinion is superior – is dangerous in classroom discussions, say the authors. It’s important for teachers to articulate some key moral principles that can serve as guardrails, perhaps drawing on the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
- Work with parents. This includes being transparent about what’s being discussed in the classroom, focusing on shared values, and presenting varied perspectives (but not those that violate the rights of others). “Too often,” say Weissbourd, Manning, and Torres, “it’s the loudest, most partisan parents that claim administrators’ and teachers’ time and attention, while research suggests that the majority of parents care about healing divides in this country and are ‘exhausted’ by partisan hostility. Elevate these moderate parents who want to dial down the hostility.” Conducting surveys of parents may reveal a surprisingly moderate spectrum of opinion.
- Give students practice debating hot topics, initially with scaffolded discussions. The authors suggest starting with less-inflammatory topics – for example, the ethics of eating meat – and guiding students as they get better at agreeing on facts, debating the substance, and listening well. Fishbowl discussions, where students take turns participating and observing, are helpful in building skills, with frequent reference to key principles of civil discourse – perhaps these from the Better Arguments Project:
- Take winning off the table
- Prioritize relationships and listen passionately.
- Pay attention to context.
- Embrace vulnerability.
- Make room to transform.
“Teaching Students to Talk Across Political Difference” by Richard Weissbourd, Glenn Manning, and Eric Torres in Educational Leadership, April 2023 (Vol. 80, #7, pp. 20-26); the authors can be reached at richard_weissbourd@gse.harvard.edu, glenn_manning@gse.harvard.edu, and etorres@g.harvard.edu.
Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #981 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.
