It’s trickier than ever for teachers to manage class discussions of divisive topics—but it’s also crucial for students to learn and practice how to disagree respectfully, logically, and productively.
In the wake of a volatile election season and ongoing public debates on economic, environmental, and social problems, there’s no shortage of issues to engage students’ creativity and passion. In a recent nationally representative survey, educators told the EdWeek Research Center that they often feel at a loss to give students the tools and safety to grapple with these issues while also navigating state and local restrictions and parent concerns.
For more on how teachers can help their students learn to build bridges on polarizing topics, check out this year’s Big Ideas in Education special report and download the tip sheet below.
