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Facilitating Class

With intention and the tools from Sections I and II, we can be well-prepared for inquiry and difficult dialogues. However, even with preparation, academic expression around challenging, divisive, and sensitive content can naturally lead to tense or challenging moments. Similarly, some issues and challenging moments can arise in our classes unexpectedly, and the pressure of the moment can impair our ability to spontaneously employ the most constructive approach. Having a pocketful of proven strategies for handling such moments keeps us from being caught (too) off-guard.

Refer back to your expectations for class conversation and collective inquiry

Reminding students of guidelines can set you up to have a productive conversation. If things have gone off track, they can also allow you to reset a conversation and address counterproductive contributions (Hogan & Sathy, 2022).

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Encourage participation

Including a wide range of perspectives makes it more likely that the group will reach creative, effective, and accurate conclusions (Day and Beard, 2019), and so broad participation ought to be our goal.

It takes time for students to assemble their thoughts and to gather the courage to share them (Tanner, 2017), and so broad participation rests on the work we do to make that participation more possible.

Given the diversity of our students—particularly when considering neurodiversity—participation may come in many forms, and it’s important to open avenues for all students to participate.

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Name conversational dynamics that you see in play

Particularly when the topic is difficult, students may not be able to step back and notice that, for example, only certain students are talking, or that students are starting to cut one another off. In these cases, you can cast yourself in the role of facilitator to keep an aerial view of the conversation to see when it is likely to lead in unproductive directions.

Naming your own positionality as the instructor and authority figure (in the higher education classroom) can be important as we begin difficult discussions. This reminds students that you are aware of the power you wield in the room and that you will be holding the space and expectations.

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Separate ideas from people and remind students to do the same

An “ad hominem” attack—maligning the speaker rather than addressing the points made by the speaker—threatens intragroup relationships and generally produces unconvincing and unproductive arguments. While it is important to be mindful of how others’ experiences and identities inform their perspectives, it is the ideas that are up for debate, not the people behind the ideas.

If we want to teach our students to handle complicated issues, we need to make sure they keep their focus on ideas, opinions, and what has been shared, while understanding that personal verbal attacks on an individual are both ineffective and not in alignment with Georgetown’s values.

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Keep modeling empathy, curiosity, and humility in the moment of inquiry/conversation

By this point, you’ve hopefully helped students foster the qualities of empathy, curiosity, and humility—but those skills can fall by the wayside when things get heated. As the instructor, in the midst of a potentially contentious learning experience you are in a uniquely advantageous position to keep modeling the kind of inquiry and discourse you’re hoping to see from the students.

Demonstrating transparency about your own learning process, and your centering of empathy in the classroom, can facilitate your students’ sense of belonging and thus strengthen the community of trust you’re building in the classroom.

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Slow down and ease tensions

Many people, both instructors and students, need a few moments to gather themselves and their thoughts in order to better articulate and argue their positions.

When things are happening quickly, it’s easy to make impulsive decisions and act less thoughtfully than we might prefer. In general, it’s important that things move at a pace that allows people to be their best selves.

Students will often look to the instructor in difficult and heated moments—watching for those cues and responding with a pause can create an atmosphere of safety and trust

Bias is another possible outcome of haste, but it can be reduced by taking the time to implement strategies to ensure fair-mindedness (Stewart and Payne, 2008).

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End conversations or inquiry when necessary

Not all conversations will reach a point of resolution within a single session—or, in fact, at all. It’s okay to defer a conversation until later if things have gone significantly wrong. In making the decision about whether to end the conversation, it’s important to know the difference between student behaviors that are rude or disruptive and those that are actively hostile. You might be able to address rude or disruptive behaviors simply and directly (e.g., through reference to class guidelines), but “it’s okay to swiftly end class or remove yourself from an environment that does not feel safe” (Haynie & Spong, 2022).

If the discussion requires some specific skills (e.g., perspective-taking) to be best-navigated, then you can share with the students that there will be some skill-building in another session in order to be better prepared to discuss and interrogate the issue.

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