Step One: Journal Writing
Students begin the process by writing in their journals on a challenging topic for at least ten minutes. Students should be told that the journal writing time is for them to think and reflect on how they feel about the topic. Later, they will be selecting some of their writing and thoughts to share.

Step: Two: Framing for students
The teacher should instruct students that this discussion is not about debating knowledge of history and current events or arguing politics. It is about listening to each other, and acknowledging our diverse array of thoughts, fears and hopes.

Step Three:
Divide the class into small groups of four or five students. Once students are in their groups they should appoint a facilitator to keep the group focused and on task.

Step Four:
Allow the group a few minutes in silence. During this time everyone can look over his or her journal reflections and decide what they want to share out loud in the small group.

Step Five:
Go around the small group and have each student share whatever he or she would like to share. The sharing can be the entire journal, parts of the journal, or key words. During this go around, no one should interrupt the speaker. When it is each student's turn to share he or she should not directly respond to or rebuff a point someone else has made. Instead, the sharing should focus on the individual's own feelings and reactions.

Step Six:
After everyone in the group has spoken, the facilitator should then give the group two or three minutes in silence to reflect on/write about any new thoughts or feelings that came up based upon what the group heard from one another.

Step Seven:
The group will now have an open discussion. The teacher should remind the groups that this is not a time for debate or argument, but for sharing and listening. Students should also be reminded that though people may know a lot about the topic, everyone will not necessarily agree on it. Instead of anyone playing the role of "the expert," students should remember that this is simply about sharing where their heads and hearts are -- and they are all experts (or not) at that.

Step Eight:
The small groups come back together as a class. The teacher conducts a brainstorm list by asking students what thoughts and topics came up in their group. The teacher can then acknowledge the different opinions and voices, as well as point out common threads. The teacher can have students articulate the value of hearing different "voices" and the value of this exercise. After this ground work the teacher can then dive deeper into the content.