This University of British Columbia module was designed to help you enhance student learning by introducing strategies to assist in responding to difficult educational conversations.

This module introduces proactive and situational strategies for navigating challenging conversations in two different contexts: (1) hot button moments, where difficult conversations happen unexpectedly, and (2) supercharged subjects, where difficult conversations can be somewhat anticipated.

This resource was developed by Derald Wing Sue, PhD Professor of Psychology and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Teaching controversial subjects is an inherent part of some courses and disciplines. As instructors, how we manage those discussions can greatly impact how useful the conversations are to our instructional goals, and what sort of impact they have on the dynamics of the class.  The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at Indiana University Bloomington  has these suggestions. 

There are times when we feel the high stakes of classroom discussions. We often imagine the classroom as a fictional, neutral space outside of our existence, separate from our opinions and emotions. The reality of a “difficult” classroom conversation can challenge this conventional view. It shows that studying and teaching are embodied experiences, and that difficult topics in the classroom will not always stay at a safe distance. Toronto Metropolitan University has developed a guide with best practices for instructors to consider as they lead such discussions in their own courses.