Facilitating difficult conversations in times of crisis
(January 2021) We at NEASC are deeply saddened by the events that took place this week in Washington D.C. As we all try to understand what happened in the Capitol, why it happened, and how we as a nation can move forward, we encourage you to create safe spaces within your school community to discuss the events and how they are represented in the media, and to take this opportunity to have open and honest conversations with your students and staff about the realities of violence and the impacts of hatred on our society.
These events undoubtedly have resulted in a range of strong emotions — anger, fear, confusion, sadness — and we hope you find the resources below a good starting place to help guide your discussions:
From Facing History and Ourselves:
- Responding to the Insurrection at the US Capitol (teaching ideas and current event resources)
- Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn
From Teaching Tolerance:
- Leading Conversations After Crisis
- Let's Talk: Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students (pdf)
- Toolkit for “When Bad Things Happen”
- Showing Up Strong for Yourself—and Your Students—in the Aftermath of Violence
From the APA: