Starting dialogue about difficult topics can be tricky for educators. We have gathered some helpful tips and tools.
Having classroom discussions with students or pupils about social issues, such as disinformation and polarisation can be tricky. You might not have as good a grip on the topics as you would like. For instance, you may struggle to predict how young people will react, or you may feel that you don’t have the tools or knowledge you need to open up a constructive conversation. Here, you’ll find various tips and guidance on how to foster an open conversation with pupils or students.
Dialogue: what and why
Dialogue is a conversational exchange based on talking and listening to each other without seeking to judge or convince the other. Dialogue revolves around exploring a particular topic from different angles and perspectives based on mutual respect.
Dialogue is based on listening to each other with an open mind and juxtaposing various different perspectives. This makes it a particularly suitable way of discussing socially sensitive topics, precisely because the goal is not to convince others or to be ‘right’. As such, it gives participants the opportunity to explore a multitude of sides to the same story and to arrive at new insights.
In the document below, you can find tips and tricks for starting and maintaining a healthy dialogue.
Author: Emma van Toorn
