Check your calendars. Somehow, someway, it’s already late November. Doesn’t it feel like the school year just started? Teachers were finishing up summer professional development and handing out syllabi only moments ago, and now we’re days away from Thanksgiving break with just a few more weeks before the end of the semester and the winter holidays. While to outside observers this may seem like the home stretch before some well-needed rest and relaxation, school and district leaders know that this is actually one of the toughest parts of the school year. Ensuring that exhausted educators and students stay focused and productive during the coming weeks is a daunting task for leaders any year, let alone during a period where the state of the world is making everything feel more pressured and emotionally fraught.
I don’t have to tell you that the world feels especially stressful right now. Studies show that political polarization is isolating Americans further and further away from our shared humanity, siloing us into our own "echo chambers" while demonizing those who don't share our particular perspectives on the future of our nation. Not only do Americans have negative feelings toward those of differing political views, but they are increasingly starting to believe that those with whom they disagree actively pose a threat to the future of the nation. As school and district leaders, we often see the impacts of this toxic culture permeating our educational ecosystem to the point where it actively disrupts the learning environment. This is alarming stuff, people.
Embracing Differences
No matter the cultural and political demographics of where you live and work, I promise you that no community is a monolith. In fact, schools are some of the most politically and culturally diverse places around. Whether you know it or not, there are moments of disagreement and tension playing out daily all the way through your districts—from student-to-student classroom interactions to parents and educators not seeing eye-to-eye about curriculum. It’s more important than ever to find ways to cultivate spaces where civic engagement is valued and practiced with dignity and intention, where differing views can be heard, and we can find common ground through dialogue rather than seeking to win arguments. When we are able to highlight what we share, it becomes that much easier to work toward goals that benefit our entire communities. But how do we talk to each other with respect and understanding even when the discourse pushes us away from respecting and understanding one another?
I spent a long time working in communities full of people who I didn’t always agree with, people who projected their values and expectations onto me in ways I couldn't always anticipate. And though some cautioned me to avoid interacting with those who seemingly wouldn’t ever understand where I was coming from, I made it a priority to create a respectful space that was open to all voices. It wasn’t always easy or fun, but doing the hard and important work of making connections and subverting biases was worth the moments of uncomfortability. By meeting people where they were and showing I was willing to listen, we were able to see past differences in opinion and recognize the inherent things we had in common as human beings.
To lead through times of high emotion is a challenge, but it’s also a privilege and an opportunity. And of course, it’s easier said than done. A strong democracy is a diverse democracy—one where we can work together to build communities regardless of our differences in opinion. At Facing History & Ourselves, we believe that the classroom is a microcosm where students can learn to be informed and active citizens, where they can discover that their voices matter and are valued. But when these voices disagree, it can lead to tough, emotional, and even controversial conversations.
This doesn't mean we should avoid these moments of contention—ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away. When students actively talk about the issues that are currently affecting their lives, it increases the likelihood that they will develop the necessary critical thinking and communication skills needed to participate in civic life even after they've emerged into the big wide world outside of school. But what’s most important here is that the educators and students have a mutual understanding that these discussions must happen in a way that prioritizes what we have in common rather than what drives us apart.
Next Steps
In our polarized society—and especially in this specific historical moment—it is absolutely vital for educational leaders like us to help our communities navigate difficult conversations on contentious topics with empathy and care. You know that students, teachers, and other stakeholders are looking to you for guidance and perspective. By cultivating a respectful academic environment throughout your schools and districts, you can model what a world looks like where thoughtful and emotionally-intelligent dialogue leads the way.
The first step is to differentiate between civil discourse and debate. We define "civil discourse" as a framework allowing us to use our minds, hearts, and consciences to have productive exchanges based on facts, active listening, and engaging in good faith to create mutual understanding. Rather than simply trying to forcefully persuade somebody else to accept your viewpoint, true civil discourse focuses on valuing diverse perspectives and building open dialogue.
Next, equipping your staff with a comprehensive approach—one that includes robust lesson plans, deliberate teaching of vital skills, embracing diversity, and more—can make a space where educators and students alike feel safe, respected, and engaged with their civic responsibilities and educational goals. Lastly, you can help educators hone in on what they need to create healthy discourse by introducing tangible frameworks to build trust and create inclusive classrooms where these productive discussions can actually happen.
As the world experiences periods of upheaval, we educational leaders must act as examples for persevering through uncertainty and seeing the best in one another. Remember: Facing History is always here as a partner and a resource to offer your schools and districts the tools you need to facilitate the crucial conversations that are necessary to building a more informed and empathetic society. With the right mindset and approach, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together.
About the Author. Desmond K. Blackburn, PhD is President and Chief Executive Officer at Facing History & Ourselves, a national nonprofit organization that works with school systems to use lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. He has spent nearly 30 years as a career educator (teacher, principal, superintendent, adjunct professor, author). To find out how Dr. Blackburn and the Facing History team can support you, reach out to support [at] facinghistory.org.
