Ep 4 - How to Navigate Difficult Discussions: Three Common Conflicts and What to Do When They Emerge in Your Class

Do you find yourself avoiding facilitating important discussions because you worry you won’t be able to handle any conflicts that might emerge?

Do you feel guilty when you shy away from addressing important topics or posing important questions because you know such conversations are necessary for change?

In the last episode I talked about how to prepare for difficult conversations. Purposeful preparation can minimize the risk of conflicts emerging. Nevertheless, discussions will sometimes still be messy. 

In today’s episode, I will address three common conflicts that can emerge in difficult conversations, especially those about systemic oppression, and I will share tools to navigate those moments with more confidence.

With these tools at your fingertips, you can cultivate courage to take on the hard topics.

FREE BONUS!

As a supplement to this episode and the last, I put together a free PDF for you which includes the text of a community guidelines paragraph that you can use to communicate expectations around class discussions. If you would like an idea of how you might word your own such statement, feel free to copy mine in its entirety, or revise and adapt it for your own needs.

Get your free copy: Sample Class Community Guidelines Statement