Targeted to Intermediate English (B1+) speakers.Read more
This is the standard requirement for most courses. Participants at this level can participate actively in discussions and manage everyday and professional situations. If they are unsure about their English level, they can test it here or explore our courses facilitated in Basic English.
Cross-Curricular.Read more
The listed audiences are those for whom the course is especially recommended, but courses are not exclusive to them and are open to everyone. In fact, most of our workshops are built around the collective sharing of participants’ experiences and having a variety of profiles enriches the learning process and is highly encouraged!
Description
Sensitive and controversial issues (SCIs) are already part of students’ lives — whether they are openly discussed in school (and in the classroom) or not.
Topics like migration, identity, climate change, inequality, social justice, or digital misinformation often trigger strong emotions, different interpretations, and sometimes polarized reactions that can escalate into conflict.
For teachers, these moments can be challenging.
Avoiding difficult conversations like these might feel like the safest option (at least in the short term), but it can also mean missing important opportunities to develop critical thinking, empathy, media literacy, and democratic participation.
This course intends to help teachers approach these moments with more confidence and structure.
Throughout the week, educators will be assisted in approaching these sensitive and controversial issues, exploring why some classroom discussions become so easily and deeply polarized, how students’ identities and experiences shape their perspectives, and why some conversations escalate while others lead to deeper understanding.
A central focus will be on creating both safe and brave classroom spaces: classrooms where students feel respected and protected, but also challenged to engage with different viewpoints.
Participants will experience first-person practical strategies to establish classroom norms, facilitate dialogue, respond to emotional reactions, address stereotypes and microaggressions, and manage disagreement in a constructive way.
Also, they will have the chance to explore the role of media literacy, misinformation, AI, and algorithmic bias in shaping students’ opinions and classroom discussions.
All of that while combining theoretical reflection, case studies, group activities, and practical design work.
Teacher will test activities, analyze real classroom situations, and design their own approaches for integrating SCIs into their teaching in a way that fits their context.
By the end of the course, participants will have gained practical tools to support open dialogue, critical thinking, and respectful participation in their classrooms.
What is included
Learning outcomes
The course will help participants to:
- Understand what sensitive and controversial issues (SCIs) are and why they matter in education;
- Recognize how polarization emerges and identify its signs in classroom interaction;
- Create safe and brave classroom spaces where students can participate, listen, and disagree respectfully;
- Establish clear classroom norms and participation structures for difficult conversations;
- Apply strategies to guide dialogue and manage disagreement constructively;
- Respond to strong emotions, bias, stereotypes, and microaggressions with confidence and care;
- Identify and challenge bias, stereotypes, and microaggressions;
- Support students in developing critical thinking, media literacy and awareness of misinformation;
- Reflect on the influence of identity, experience, and social context in classroom discussions;
- Integrate sensitive and controversial issues into lessons in a structured, intentional, and age-appropriate way.
Tentative schedule
Day 1 – Introduction to the course
- Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
- Icebreaker activities;
- Presentations of the participants’ schools.
Understanding sensitive and controversial issues
- Introduction to SCIs: what makes a topic sensitive or controversial?;
- Why these topics matter for students and society;
- Exploring real examples from participants’ contexts.
Day 2 – Understanding polarization and classroom dialogue
- Recognizing signals in classroom interaction (e.g. “us vs. them”, strong emotional reactions);
- Exploring how identity, experience and group belonging shape students’ perspectives;
- Strategies to keep dialogue open without avoiding disagreement;
- Case study work based on real classroom situations.
Day 3 – Building safe and brave spaces
- Safe and brave spaces: what’s the difference and why both matter;
- Creating classroom norms for respectful and meaningful participation;
- Participation structures for balanced dialogue and student voice;
- Emotional intelligence in difficult conversations;
- Workshop: designing activities that prepare students for sensitive discussions.
Day 4 – Bias, inclusion and media literacy
- Bias, stereotypes, and microaggressions in the classroom;
- Inclusion, identity, and participation;
- Media literacy: misinformation, AI and algorithmic bias;
- Adapting materials for your own lessons.
Day 5 – From difficult conversations to classroom practice
- Communication and conflict resolution strategies;
- Introduction to non-violent communication and mediation approaches;
- Integrating sensitive and controversial issues into everyday teaching;
- Designing classroom activities adapted to participants’ contexts;
- Presentations, peer feedback and final reflection;
- Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
- Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance.
Day 6 – Structured cultural activities
- Structured cultural activity(ies) according to the hosting location;
- Learning journal: individual written reflection on the course experience;
- Course reflection: self-reflection and review of course materials and resources.
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