How to Discuss Controversial Issues in Class

I ran across a good discussion on a podcast about how to discuss controversial issues in classrooms. It involves several teachers, including Robert Pondiscio who is a fellow at AEI, and a Texas state senator. I found the discussion illuminating because it showed more agreement about principles than differences. I also liked how the moderator made each speaker summarize the position of the person making the opposing argument. This prevents disagreements about what the other was really saying. It is a technique we should adopt in our own classrooms to ensure students are not talking past each other without understanding each other’s arguments.

The podcast centered around whether we should discuss controversial issues in class and if so how to do so. The consensus was that such issues should be discussed but there was disagreement in some ways as to how to go about doing that. The Texas senator was the most cautious, feeling that the 7 liberal arts should be the basis of education and that a firm foundation was needed before engaging in discussion. He was not sure that a focus on current events was the best use of teaching time. The teachers were more open to the idea. In their minds, controversial issues and current events are at the heart of a classroom and one even noted that issues and topics that previously were within bounds of a K-12 education have become so politicized recently that there mere discussion of them raises red flags today.

The podcast is well worth a listen. My two cents is that we need to continue discussion of challenging and controversial topics in our classrooms and we need to educate students on how to assess information and construct valid arguments. Most importantly, we need to teach them to listen.