Tough Conversations and Student Voices

We’ve all been there. Maybe we were sitting with a colleague we don’t know to well or perhaps it was a family dinner over the holidays. Someone brings up the topic of hate speech or race. Tension grips us, are brain starts racing what excuse we can most concoct to get out of there as soon as possible and we brace ourselves for the potential voyage ahead. 

Even as educated, well-meaning, professionals, navigating these issues can be extremely stressful and challenging. What if you are misunderstood? What if your views are rejected by your peers? What will be the lasting implications of the conversation? For these reasons and more, the natural tendency is to avoid conversations like these like the plague. 

But if you ask your kids, they will tell you that they are absolutely swimming in this issue. They find hate speech, or at least, problematic and confusing speech around race everywhere; in their chat groups, in the games, in their favourite celebrity’s Insta feed and in their favourite YouTuber’s comments. And they are being left on their own to make sense of this heavy issue. 


With this backdrop, the topic of hate speech was selected as the focus of the Grade 10 Digital Citizenship workshops this semester at FDR. It involved two in-class lessons on the topic of hate speech with their advisory group covering things like definitions, limits, role-playing. And it culminated with a whole-grade panel Discussion that pulled from the in-class lessons and recent current events involving this painful issue. 

In-class NearPod lessons on hate speech; a chance to discuss in a small setting

We teachers want nothing but for the best for our kids. We want to help them discover their truths; to lead their best lives and to do so in a safe and appropriate way. Unfortunately and despite these honest intentions, this can also mean that we are are the ones leading and directing the conversation; especially when there is tension around that topic. And as the old teaching adage goes ‘He who is doing the speaking is doing the learning’, we are often taking away valuable opportunities for growth from our kids. 

This is precisely what we wanted to avoid when we launched this initiative. The goal is to let students speak freely and openly about these topics which they are confronted with everyday. 
These are topics which pull at the heart of the culture wars playing out incessantly in the media, and our students approached them with maturity, sincerity and best intentions. I was blown away by the maturity, respect, integrity and open-mindedness our kids showed as these conversations unfolded. 

When students are put at the centre of the conversation; incredible things can happen!


Panel discussion on March 27th; capstone event featuring voices from across Grade 10


If you would like to learn more about having tough conversations with kids, check out this article from Common Sense Media. And if you would like specific information how how to facilitate a discussion on hate speech, we found this article from the Washington Post to be extremely helpful.

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