Teaching Trump: Student Recommendations to Ensure Safe Discussions in a Time of Polarized Political Divide

Examining pre-service teachers’ preparedness and perceptions about teaching controversial issues in social studies

“…Use content and assignments that help learners to develop critical thinking skills. Some helpful instructional approaches include critical analysis of children's and young adults' books with controversial story lines in order to invoke critical dialogue (Botelho & Rudman, 2009;Nganga, 2015;Author in press). Equally helpful is emphasis of collective deliberation that promote questioning of assigned topics, allowing space for self-clarification and improvement while letting all classroom participants to "know that they have the right to initiate reflexive arguments related to procedures and rules of discourse and their application" (Galambos, 2009, p. 344).…”

“…Learners should have greater responsibility in selecting topics for discussion, and/or leading discussions. In relying on student-centered learning approaches (Boys, Walsh, & Khaja, 2018), students are empowered to take full control of their own learning, thus reducing the likelihood of falling back to previously held prejudice and bias. Use content and assignments that help learners to develop critical thinking skills. Some helpful instructional approaches include critical analysis of children's and young adults’ books with controversial story lines in order to invoke critical dialogue (Botelho & Rudman, 2009; Nganga, 2015; Author in press).…”

“…Learners should have greater responsibility in selecting topics for discussion, and/or leading discussions. In relying on student-centered learning approaches (Boys, Walsh, & Khaja, 2018), students are empowered to take full control of their own learning, thus reducing the likelihood of falling back to previously held prejudice and bias.…”

‘The Mirage of Action’

“…Moreover, white tears and the accompanying linguistic weapon of "feeling safe" drive how others surrounding heterocentric white female social workers should and do respond to the threats perceived against heterocentric white female social workers (Accapadi, 2007;Trepagnier, 2017). Despite the absence of safety afforded to black men and women, transgender men and women, and other marginalized populations, cis gendered heterocentric white female social workers weaponize "feeling safe" in the social work classroom, field placement, and social work profession (Boys et al, 2018;Holley & Steiner, 2005;Quiros et al, 2012) rather than face discomfort about their beliefs and actions. White tears and "feeling safe" are ways that redirect uncomfortable conversations about race, homophobia, and transphobia, among other aspects of diversity or oppression towards silence and avoidance (Accapadi, 2007) and are symbolic ways that crying leads to comfort.…”