Inclusive Strategies for Every School Community.
Real Talk, Respectful Dialogue: Engaging Students on Challenging Topics
Immigration. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Voting and elections. LGBTQ+ rights and other civil rights. AI. Climate change. Freedom of speech.
These are some of the topics that may come up in today’s middle and high school classrooms, either in social studies class because the main topic surfaces controversial issues. Or, the issue may be one that’s been in the news which students are eager to discuss. Many educators, especially in today’s political climate, feel uncertain or uncomfortable about facilitating these discussions in their classrooms. Students, too, may be scared to speak up and share their views or worry about being judged.
This resource provides tips, strategies and resources for engaging students in real talk and respectful dialogue.
Celebrating Winter Holidays
Learning about holidays provides openings and opportunities for students to learn more about each other and the cultural traditions and observances that are meaningful to them. Students can learn about aspects of each other’s identities including religion, race, culture, nationality and ethnicity. Acknowledging holidays and observances, as long as they are inclusive and accurate, can also help students feel seen, included and respected for who they are. At the same time, it is important to be mindful that some people do not celebrate holidays for religious or personal reasons. Further, not all people from the same identity group celebrate all the holidays or observe them similarly.
We encourage you to use this resource as a guide for approaching winter holidays inclusively within your school communities