Difficult conversations in the classroom

In social work education, we often have difficult conversations in the classroom as we grapple with teaching and learning about systemic racism, other forms of discrimination, and oppression. These discussions are relevant to the course and student learning, so I can’t “duck” them, but even though I have been in the classroom for 20 years, there are still times that facilitating a discussion on hard topics leaves me exhausted and questioning how it went.

Many times, I am the one who introduces the “hard topic”, either by the reading I assign or the discussion questions I open class with. However, sometimes students bring up the topics themselves, especially if the topics we are discussing in class relate to current issues evolving in the world around us. Either way, these discussions can be fruitful, and they can be exhausting.

When not done thoughtfully, these discussions can also be hurtful and exhausting, which is why so many of us dread them.

Many times over the years I have said “if I only taught math or science, I wouldn’t have to deal with having conversations like this.” That could be somewhat true, though I still think it is important to look at any discipline and see how inequities persist.

Given the current situation in the Middle East, I think it is likely that professors in all disciplines may be facing the need to figure out how to facilitate these difficult conversations, especially ones that may emerge organically (i.e. unplanned by the professor).

One of the biggest things I have learned over the years is that it is important to remember to tell students up front that I am not an expert on the difficult topic, and it is quite likely they could ask a question that needs some context for an answer that I just don’t have at the moment. I am comfortable with students hearing me say “I don’t know”.

Another thing I have worked at over the years is balancing participation and centering voices who might be closer to the problem (without “othering” them or singling them out). Asking students in advance if they would be willing to contribute to class discussion is useful, but in a scenario where discussion on a difficult topic emerges spontaneously, I do not specifically call on a student just because I think they have a connection to the issue.

Depending on the class topic and the learning goals, the students in the class, and whether or not the discussion was planned by me or was student initiated, I have used strategies that I have learned from a couple of different teaching centers, namely IU Bloomington and Vanderbilt. Here’ is IU’s page of resources for managing difficult conversations in the classroom and here is the one from Vanderbilt.