Special Report
Teaching Opinion

‘People Can Only Hear When They’re Heard': Navigating Divisive Conversations

How curiosity can help
By Jaclyn Borowski & Elizabeth Rich — September 19, 2024 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

We all have personal biases; it comes with being human. When it comes to students, though, educators might feel challenged by how to help them understand what their biases are and keep an open mind in spite of them.

Journalist and author Mónica Guzmán says educators can help students overcome their biases, but doing so requires building a muscle of their own. There’s one tool at everyone’s disposal to help reduce the tendency to make assumptions about others. Guzmán, who wrote I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times, believes that building the skill of curiosity can help us get to a better place when it comes to addressing difficult conversations.

In this video, she talks about how to foster curiosity in ourselves and in students so that we can build greater understanding across divides.

Coverage of leadership, social and emotional learning, afterschool and summer learning, arts education, and equity is supported in part by a grant from The Wallace Foundation, at www.wallacefoundation.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2025 Survey Results: The Outlook for Recruitment and Retention
See exclusive findings from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of K-12 job seekers and district HR professionals on recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Opinion I Left the Classroom to Be a Horror Writer. Teaching Was Good Preparation
I loved my job, but not the conditions. Fiction writing helped me face my fears.
Marguerite Sheffer
4 min read
Illustration of an interior classroom at night, scary atmosphere.
Gina Tomko/Education Week and Getty
Teaching Opinion Teachers Are Faced With Constant Challenges. Here's How to Overcome Them
Three veteran educators offer their expert guidance on how to manage even the toughest classroom scenarios.
9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion How to Make the Most of Class Time Before a School Vacation: 4 Tips
Winter break is coming. An education researcher shares tips to maximize learning in your classroom and school.
Christina Cipriano
5 min read
Illustration concept of a classroom; blackboard with empty space with textbooks and stationery inside classroom with flying paper airplanes
DigitalVision Vectors with Liz Yap/Education Week
Teaching Opinion 5 Ways to Up Your Classroom Game, According to Larry Ferlazzo
Stop telling your students what to do and other ideas from a veteran teacher to his colleagues.
4 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week