Welcome to Fall 2024! With the upcoming elections and the ongoing conflicts in Gaza, we anticipate that students may bring heightened emotions and diverse perspectives into the classroom. We know that facilitating and navigating conversations around these topics can be challenging, especially when these conversations happen unexpectedly. Creating a classroom environment that prepares the class for such conversations is important.
An important step is preparing for conversations by establishing community agreements or classroom ground rules. These agreements serve as a shared agreement between you and the students, setting the tone for respectful and productive discussions throughout the semester. Community agreements are not meant to stifle debate or avoid difficult topics; instead, they provide a framework for engaging with complex issues in a manner that promotes learning and mutual understanding.
Suggestions for setting community agreements:
- Involve your students in the process of creating these agreements to foster a sense of ownership and increase buy-in.
- Emphasize the value of diverse perspectives and the importance of listening to understand, not just to respond.
- Encourage students to support their views with credible evidence and logical reasoning.
- Acknowledge that learning often involves discomfort and create space for students to express when they feel challenged.
Once you’ve established your community agreements:
- Post them to your D2L course site.
- Revisit them periodically throughout the semester.
- Address violations promptly and consistently.
Visit these resources for ideas and inspiration:
- Creating Community Agreements with Your Students (Boston University)
- Establishing Classroom Ground Rules (Washington University in St Louis)
- Respect differences? Challenging the Common Guidelines in Social Justice Education (Sensoy and DiAngelo, 2014)
Our instructional designers can help you design activities for creating community agreements with your students. Reach out to tlc@wcupa.edu for assistance.
