Civil Civic Discourse

If there is any upside to being housebound for days on end due to Covid, severe weather, or self-imposed isolation it is the much-needed time to “closet clean”. It is a commonly known fact that one of the qualifications for being a teacher is possessing the “pack rat” gene. I have often suggested that the epitaph on my gravestone should be, “Don’t throw that away, I might need it someday.” My closets are living proof that I intend to live up to or die with that mantra. However, after painful musing, I have finally reconciled myself to the fact that dried up sharpies and yellowing index cards can be moved to the trash or recycle bins.

But not all is trash. Paraphrasing a line from California prospectors from the old Saturday morning westerns, “There’s gold in them thar closets.” While sorting through outdated education journals and college textbooks I came across a gem that is as relevant today as it was when it was published in 2016. The title of the article is Setting the Stage for Civil Discourse written by Karen Barss in the October 2016 edition of Social Education (NCSS). What could be more relevant in today’s social climate than the need to teach students the skills necessary for civil discourse, and more specifically, civil civic discourse?

After reading the article, I became curious to see if there were any other entities calling for teachers to address this need. To my surprise, there are many. Several articles are scholarly in nature and clearly intended for the university level. Others provide practical advice for K-12 teachers on how to generate lively and informed civil discussion in the classroom on a variety of topics.

Let’s take a look at a few.

United States Courts

Classroom teachers could take their cues from the federal courts. This advisory is posted on its website:

In courtrooms, it’s not the loudest voice that prevails. Opposing arguments are grounded in reason and evidence and they are put forward within strict guidelines for courtroom decorum.  Each side tests the arguments of the other side, and a judge holds everyone to the same protocol and standards of appropriate behavior. Asking questions of each side is an integral part of the process. The adversarial system is no place for incivility. In fact, court proceedings are set up to promote effective civil discourse.

Here are some of the suggested behaviors that they believe will lead to civil discourse:

1. Be mindful of your own behavior. Notice how you internally are reacting and responding when others speak. Pay attention to how your words and your silence are impacting the experience of others in the group.
        
       What are you doing to create a welcoming environment for differing opinions? Are you looking at each speaker and giving your full attention? Are you listening with an open mind – momentarily putting aside what you will say next?
      
       Are you asking clarifying questions?  Are you being careful not to take over the conversation by talking longer than others? Are you refraining from subtle, but disrespectful behavior or not paying attention when others speak?
   
2. Wait to be recognized by the moderator (group leader) before speaking.  This allows time – before you speak – for reflection on what the previous speakers have said.
   
3. Don’t interrupt or talk over someone else who is speaking, even when you are excited.
   
4. No side conversations. They are disrespectful to the speaker and distract listeners from the person who has the floor.
   
5. Listen for content in the statements of others, especially when you disagree. Listen for what the speakers are trying to communicate, even if they aren’t expressing their points concisely.
   
6. Find common ground. Identify and call attention to areas of agreement.
   
7. Follow the direction of the discussion. Don’t repeat what already has been said. Relate your comments to those of previous speakers.
   
8. Ask questions. Don’t assume that you know what someone else means. Ask the speaker to help you understand perspectives different from your own.
   
9. Don’t embarrass yourself or disrespect others by making demeaning or inappropriate comments, facial expressions, or gestures. No eye rolling, sighing, or checking out of the conversation.
   
10. Differentiate between facts and opinions. Both are valid when expressed appropriately.

These suggestions are appropriate for students of all ages. Reproducing and posting these guidelines would go a long way in establishing the norms for civil classroom discussions.

This site offers an activity related to Civil Discourse:

Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions | United States Courts (uscourts.gov)

NCSS

Classroom teachers have a crucial role to play in helping students develop the skills of participating in civil discussions. Here are 3 simple ways to help today’s students learn to engage in productive, civil discourse in the classroom.

3 Steps to Civil Discourse in the Classroom

1. Begin with yourself
2. Control and monitor your classroom’s climate.
3. Start small and build as skills develop

1. Begin with yourself.

Modeling is the best way to teach civil discourse or any other positive value you want other people to emulate. Preparing to be an effective role model might require a bit of honest soul-searching. Here are some thoughts to consider:

●  Can you remain calm when other people say things you dislike?

●  Can you comfortably accept when students reach different conclusions on a       controversial issue than you might have reached?

●  Do you become emotional when you’re having a hard time explaining why you think another person’s views are wrong?

●  Have you ever lashed out at another person during an argument?

If you struggle in any of these situations, imagine how difficult it is for students —with far less maturity — to handle themselves in a contentious discussion. This seems to be a skill in decline in our society, so the more practice students get with this, the better off our national discourse will be.

2. Control and monitor your classroom’s climate.

To foster a civil dialogue, the classroom climate must be “temperate.” A temperate classroom climate means it can't be too “hot” or too “cold.” A “hot” climate leads to overly heated discussions, where students lose their tempers and become emotional, rather than rational. A hot classroom climate can lead to personal attacks that are unproductive, disruptive, and hurtful. This can happen very quickly when dealing with immature students or a controversial topic. On the other hand, a classroom climate that is too “cool” can be too “chilly” for timid students to risk expressing unpopular or minority views. In this case, everyone will stick to mouthing safe platitudes with the hope of pleasing the teacher and staying out of trouble. This is also unproductive intellectually. Too hot or too cold can mean nothing worthwhile is being learned in your classroom. Your goal is to keep it in the temperate zone!

3. Start small and build as skills develop.

Like any other skill, the ability to engage in civil discourse requires practice. Don’t expect students to get it right the first time, and don’t expect them to be able to start with highly controversial topics right off the bat. It is best to begin with activities that don’t feel personally threatening to individual people.

3 Steps to Civil Discourse in the Classroom

Of course, this blog would be remiss without a call out to the author of the Social Education article entitled Setting the Stage for Civic Discourse, Karen Barss. The article contains many of the steps mentioned in the US Courts and NCSS PDF:

•  Create a safe and reflective classroom

•  Create a sense of trust and openness

•  Encourage participants to to speak and listen to each other

•  Make space and time for silent reflection

•  Offer multiple avenues for participation and learning

•  Help students appreciate the points of view, talent, and contributions of all

Notably, there are two important steps listed in her article that are not mentioned in the others. If practiced, they could be the game changers needed for successful classroom discussions. These are:

•  teacher self -reflection

•  development of a classroom contract

Most teachers are familiar with the value of creating classroom contracts, so it is not surprising that this strategy is included in her list. However, urging teachers to conduct both student and teacher self-reflection is unusual but welcome.

Karen Barss suggests that students be provided with silent time prior to the discussion to formulate their ideas. She posits, “Silence is one of the most powerful and underused tools in the classroom. Whether a teacher uses it to slow down their speech to emphasize a point, or adds an extended wait time after asking a question, silence can be invaluable. It creates space for thought and sends students the message that we trust them as thoughtful learners who need time to reflect.” Reflection after discussion can be done through journaling or just silent think time.

Having been a mentor for new-educators for many years I always urged new teachers to reflect on every lesson at the end of the day. What worked? What didn’t? What can I use again? What can I change to make it better? It has always been a mystery to me that this is not widely taught in methods classes and a required practice in daily lesson planning. In the context of classroom discussions of contentious topics, Barss believes that teachers need to be aware of their own strongly held beliefs, political positions, emotional responses, and biases. Self-reflection enables teachers to be mindful of how they influence classroom discussions. This blogger whole-heartedly agrees.

If you are a NCSS member you can access this article in their archives. If you are a pack rat like me, you might still have a copy of this edition in some dark closet corner. It’s worth a look.

Setting the Stage for Civil Discourse by Karen Barss. Social Education Volume 80. Number 5 October 2016

You can read more at:

Setting Ground Rules - Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions