CTL Conversations: “Conflict as Learning Opportunities in the Classroom” (Day 1)

The purpose of this event is to gather as a community of faculty and staff to share techniques and resources to foster constructive and inclusive classroom discussion. This is an informal meeting, meant to address the questions and concerns of its participants. Some of the items we may collectively discuss include:

• How do I create classroom discussions that encourage students to share conflicting perspectives and encourage them to listen to opinions that might be different from their own?
• What are tools to turn “anger” or “conflict” into rich pedagogical explorations?
• What if I have a class discussion and it seems to just leave some students feeling angry, hurt or sad?
• How do I promote inclusivity? How do I respect bipartisanship?
• What if the discussion heads in an uncomfortable/angry direction?
• What are some ideas for different activities/lessons?