Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Proudlock Kaslavage Final Paper 1
Proudlock Kaslavage Final Paper 1
Towson University
Dr. Shargel
Social justice is a must have in a school community. Social justice reform provides students with
a safe space to learn and express themselves. Far too often students are judged on age, race, and
sexual preference. Courageous conversations help to create social justice reform and build a
strong and supportive community in the school building. Studies have shown that safe and
organized spaces with the right buy-in from leadership can inspire students to have courageous
conversation to create change. The teacher's role is the most significant to helping students make
these changes. This paper describes everything that teachers, along with administration can do to
accomplish this task providing evidence why change is needed to create social justice. The vision
for change allots for four different professional developments to take place. They involve
teachers participating in courageous conversation activities, hearing from a guest speaker, and
reflecting on how they can create social change in their own classrooms.
Research Question: How can school communities effectively create safe spaces for
courageous conversations at the middle and high school level?
Thesis Statement: Schools may effectively lead courageous conversations when: 1) creating
comfort levels allow for students to openly and freely share their experiences 2) provide
opportunity in different settings and various sessions 3) buy-in from stakeholders.
● Professional learning
activities can assist
students in understanding
social justice. (Mosher,
2021, p 23)
● Curriculum should be
based on social
responsibility. (Preis,
2017)
Literature Review
Introduction
How can school communities effectively create safe spaces for courageous conversations
at the middle and high school level? Courageous conversations are very difficult yet important
discussions at such a young age. The unfortunate reality is that these conversations in the
classroom never occur because they bring students and their teachers out of their comfort levels.
The main reason to have courageous conversations is to start social justice change. Social justice
is the act that allows marginalized groups to be treated equally and fairly in society, while
courageous conversations are the discussions that talk about said social justice issues.
In education, at the high school and middle school levels, students are subject to learn
what the curriculum wants them to learn, not necessarily what is going on outside of the
classroom. Many times we have heard students confused by racial issues and not understanding
the perspectives of others that are a different race, age, or part of a different community such as
the LGBTQIA+ community. Even when students believe they understand social justice issues,
they become influenced by peers who may not themselves understand the issues.
We have witnessed many accounts at the middle and secondary education level where
students are scared to speak up because they either do not understand the issue or because they
do not have a safe space to express what they are feeling or seeing. Students have expressed how
they feel bullied based on their race, gender, or the fact that older people just don’t understand
them causing a fear and panic within themselves. As teachers, we acknowledge that this is a
problem and seek to make this change within the classroom with the support of our research.
When it comes to students not in these marginalized groups, they also do not know how
to express themselves and have empathy for the students that are not like them. Students in the
marginalized group have expressed these concerns as well. Their peers do not understand them
and do not know how to explain to them their situations safely. This now creates a community
As teachers, we have seen students go out into their local community, then out into the
world and not understand the means of social justice. Everyday there are conflicts about race and
non-straight individuals. They are persecuted and treated unfairly all because of who they are.
Then the students who never understood social justice issues in school, then become
misinformed adults who feed into the social justice issues. They cannot discuss the issues or even
start to spread change as adults because they never had the courageous conversations while they
were in school. They did not have a trained teacher leading them to what is going on outside the
safety of their classroom. They were sheltered from these issues by adults, admin, parents, and
the community as whole because the community did not believe it was important. How can
school communities effectively create safe spaces for courageous conversations at the middle
and high school level? Schools may effectively lead courageous conversations when: 1) creating
comfort levels allow for students to openly and freely share their experiences 2) provide
Many may find certain situations regarding sensitive topics to be uncomfortable and
difficult to confront. Acknowledging and engaging in conversations that surround race, age,
gender, sexuality, etc. can lead many to feel anxious and seek urgency to find comfort. Many
may struggle to step out of their comfort zone, however, it is a necessity for social justice reform.
Courageous conversations do exactly that, they dive deep into societal issues in hopes of creating
difficult and thus there is an inherent need to create safe spaces that will foster courageous
conversations.
Open Discussion
One way to create a comfortable environment for students is to integrate a silent activity
known as “Crossing The Line”. This activity gathers a group of students of all different
backgrounds and starts them on an even line. The facilitator will then ask a variety of personal
number of family members, etc.. The purpose of this activity is to show the privileges that some
students may have over others just because of their race and background (Cook, A. L, et al
2020). Without anything being said, students will be able to start to see similarities and
The purpose of this activity is to open students' eyes and allow them to empathize with
the differences that others may go through in their lifetime. Following this activity, students
come together as a group and talk about what they noticed, thus creating a more comfortable
environment for an open discussion. The need for an open discussion is so critical because it
fosters deeper understanding and ability to empathize with others they may not have previously
empathized with.
The activity demonstrates how viewpoints can vary based on their personal experiences,
which have been known to be impacted historically by race. Since the activity shows the
advantages based on race, it creates different viewpoints seen in the article written by Oto and
Chikkatur. These authors described how students of different races often struggle to see eye-to-
eye on social justice issues (Oto, R., & Chikkatur, A., 2019). The article mentions in this
particular case black students always feel that white students will never truly understand the
social injustice that they face because they never experienced it themselves, but white students
do not know how to discuss social justice at all because they may have never seen it or even just
feel uncomfortable talking about it. Diverse student populations may struggle to understand
they are not truly understood by their peers who have not had to personally deal with the same
life disparities. Providing the opportunity for students to engage in an open discussion can allow
for other viewpoints to be vocalized and processed by peers. Open discussions give underserved
minorities a voice and platform to educate others on how they can better support their
marginalized peers. Providing a voice and space for students to better understand one-another in
an open discussion allows for social justice to occur and ensure inclusiveness and equity amongst
The ultimate goal of comfort in courageous discussion is to achieve the overall change
and encourage empowerment of individuals in the secondary education setting. Changing the
opportunities and allowing for students to speak openly and freely regarding social issues allows
for growth and support of all. Once there is a free flowing conversation students can talk about
whatever they may consider social justice and figure out a change for the better (Cook, A. L, et
al, 2020). Everyone wants to feel empowered and there is an appropriate way to do so, this is
Student learning should be focused around the ethics of humans and is the social
responsibility of teachers to ensure that they are shaping the future’s youth properly for society.
Preis emphasized on the need for students to do more than follow the Common Core curriculum
and use state testing, as teachers it should be our responsibility to use our classroom space to
prepare students to become citizens. In addition, Preis highlighted the importance of shaping
teens and using open discussions to help broaden their understanding of others to gain different
perspectives before they move onto higher education or workforce (Preis, 2017). Open
discussions allow for students to become comfortable with getting to know each other’s different
backgrounds and be prepared for future controversial discussions. Becoming comfortable with
the uncomfortable allows for a greater understanding of diverse populations (Preis, 2017).
implement a school curriculum that supports the use of acknowledging social justice problems
and its presence in the classroom. Administrators should encourage teachers to use group-work
during class to share personal experiences. When students and teachers share their own
experiences and backgrounds, this allows for a deeper connection and relationship to be built.
Relationship building can foster more meaningful and deeper conversations that are necessary to
make a social change. Courageous conversations only occur when individuals feel safe to share
and understood by the other participants. The emphasis of this article is to promote the
relationships that need to be built in order for safe spaces and climates to be established. Once
these safe spaces have been established, courageous conversations regarding important, yet
Safe Spaces
When adultism, the use of power and control of an adult over a younger person, is present
amongst staff and students, sensitive but important conversations cannot occur. Adultism
prevents students from freely speaking about their experiences and needs. This leads to an unsafe
social space, and prevents students from truly feeling a part of their school community. When
students feel as if they are being alienated by their peers, classmates, teachers, local community
members, etc. because of their experiences, teens don’t feel safe to be their true-selves.
Addressing the power and control of adults, and acknowledging the privilege that comes from
staff and students can open the space up to a growing and understanding community (Pech,
Teachers follow the direction and leadership of administration to ensure that the school is
a conducive learning environment for all. Admin can be a big deterrent in promoting social
justice and it can be shown in many different ways. One of the biggest ways is choosing an
appropriate curriculum and making sure what is being taught is fair and just. However, teachers
may try to make class relatable, unfortunately administration can have the power to interrupt the
curriculum guide or choose curriculum resources. When the administration has the power to
choose the curriculum, they may not consider the importance of relatability in the objective of
the lesson (Oto, R., & Chikkatur, A., 2019). Administrations personal biases or values may
influence their opinion on curriculum/resources used at their school. Deterring teachers from
what they feel is best for students and forcing students to learn something they don’t see as
relevant. This ultimately can create an unwelcoming space that does not support the social needs
of the students.
Oto and Chikkatur described how students were enrolled in a “History of Race” course
and sought interest in learning more about current social justice issues. Once administration
heard of this, admin told the teacher they must stick to the curriculum that focused solely on the
Civil Rights movement (Oto, R., & Chikkatur, A., 2019). In response to this, the teacher along
with the students of this class agreed to work together to create a comfortable space where they
could discuss courageous conversations. Students were able to provide feedback and voiced that
they were concerned about current social justice issues and wanted to be a part of a discussion
that surrounded events happening now. This exemplifies that students are willing to learn social
justice issues but need the structured and organized spaces that currently don’t exist. This group
of students found a way past this with their group and became very successful at understanding
the need for social change. From this class, this group of students were able to empathize with
article that examined the administrators thoughts on social justice. In Shelton’s article, he
describes a situation in which he followed around a specific pre-service teacher who experienced
a principal call out a student for ‘looking like they are part of the LGBTQIA+ community
(Shelton, 2019). While this may not refer to race, as mentioned above, the LGBTQIA+ is another
marginalized group that has experienced social injustice and would benefit from courageous
conversations. The observation of the pre-service teacher supported the need for safe spaces at
the school. This pre-service teacher continued her career and started to work with other teachers
with creating safe spaces in the classroom. Teachers need to help other teachers to see the
importance of acceptance, this also includes our principals and educational leaders. Once schools
are able to become more accepting, the use of safe spaces can help students feel like they are
Rapport building is a vital piece to creating a safe space. Mansfield describes the impact
that building relationships between staff and students can have on the overall climate (Mansfield,
K. C., & Jean-Marie, G. 2015). When teachers and students develop a connection, this provides
an encouraging and cohesive learning environment for all. Students who feel a disconnect from
their teachers, are not willing to be honest with their experiences or have open conversations.
Not being able to have these open conversations prevents students from courageous
conversations that allows social justice and reform to occur. Ensuring that marginalized students
The LGBTQIA+ community seeks out allies to gain more social acceptance. Students
tend to be scared when walking into spaces for fear of judgment, but an ally does not always
need to present themselves in a physical sense rather a vocal one(Shelton, 2019). Teachers using
posters and stickers according to this article have deterred students from using the safe space for
fear of being bullied. Understanding that allies are around to help with social justice issues
creates a safe feeling for any student who needs help in an unsafe situation without fear of
judgment. Once students who are facing social justice issues have this sense of security, they are
more willing to talk and have a courageous conversation with a trusted ally. The way to promote
ally-hood can be accomplished by letting students know that there is a trained social justice
facilitator who has a space open to discuss issues in a safe environment. This way it doesn’t
allow other students who may bully someone who needs help to know why the student is coming
to talk to the ally or even present the issue of the bully thinking anyone going in the room is part
of LGBTQIA+ or dealing with a racial issue. Since bullies seek out any way to pick on students,
students may keep their identity anonymous for protection when the safe space is not physically
marked, not allowing the bully to make the assumption that the student is going into the room to
Organized spaces allow for teachers to have courageous conversations with their
students. In order for social justice change, the school system and its leaders need to organize
and plan ahead of time when, where, and who will participate. School programs that plan ahead
of time to consider the needs of their school and what goal they want to attain by meeting allows
for a clear understanding of all the resource requirements. In addition, when considering the
needs of the attendees, organizing a space that is easily available can increase the attendance and
effectiveness. Organizing a space that is virtual or online based on the population attending has
ensured that the courageous conversations are occurring and not empty promises.
Online
This article describes a study that provided a group of students with professional
guidance regarding sensitive topics and their needs in an educational setting (Mosher, 2021).
This group of professionals was set-up by local librarians who understood the needs of teens in
marginalized groups in the area after a recent incident in the news. The study provided an open
meeting to teens to meet online monthly and discuss their experience with social injustice. This
allowed for teens to share their insight and hear from other students who have also had similar
experiences. Providing this space with professionals to guide the conversation allowed for these
teens to learn more about current societal issues that need to change. They discussed the recent
case of George Floyd, along with topics on ‘How to be an Ally’ to LGBTQ+IA teens. The
librarians found that each month the participation and attendees grew. Teens needed to simply
email to sign-up, and then specific topics, times, and professionals (based on the topic) were
selected to be a part of the discussion. Creating this space, proven by the growing attendance and
books being checked-out in the library, has shown the need for courageous conversations for
In order to provide more social services for teens in the education space, this 7-week
training program was designed in order to help train adults to help teens in classrooms. After the
7-week training program, the teachers have the skill set to assist students in their classrooms with
courageous conversations. The focus for help was on social justice problems that teens face and
acknowledging that as teachers, their response and relationships with teens can impact their
experience. This training was organized and provided online to teachers and addressed ways they
can incorporate social change in their classrooms. Following the training, students provided
feedback and it showed that participants found use in engaging in such training (Kennedy,
Elnicki, Torrieri, & Scallan Walter, 2022). The response from teachers shows that when these
training materials are easily available for teachers, they will take advantage of them and use them
in their own classrooms. This directly encourages courageous conversations and meets the needs
of the students who are needing a social justice change (Kennedy, Elnicki, Torrieri, & Scallan
Walter, 2022).
In- Person
With the mindset of creating change in the classroom and community, a high school
Health educator used in-person classroom time to promote social change and justice. The teacher
re-structured the curriculum in order to address some of the ethical dilemmas that society is
currently facing. Amongst these discussions, students were provided a case-study that discussed
issues of race, sexuality, and other ethical dilemmas. The teacher posed questions for students to
address after reviewing the case-study and asked them to consider responses through the lens of
different people. Using this opportunity to discuss aloud, students were able to hear from each
other and gain a better understanding of different perspectives. This allowed for the class to gain
a deeper meaning of the importance of being able to understand their peers (Preis, 2017).
Learning Activities
Learning is best accomplished when students are able to connect with the content. In
addition, students are able to gain deeper meaning and purpose of the topics at hand when they
are able to participate or ‘learn by doing’. When it comes to social justice reform, the same
concept applies, these can be moving, learning activities (Scanlon, D, 2023). In particular,
having a guest speaker with a social justice background can be a great way to motivate and
educate students and teachers of the purpose of courageous conversations. Students tend to learn
more effectively when the activity is relatable and allowing a guest speaker to connect with
students can encourage participation and meaning. Teachers may also provide resources such as
pamphlets or posters that can advocate and provide quick information. However, may not
guarantee delivery to the necessary population who would benefit from reading such resources.
Another activity that students could participate in would be physical activities that encourage
movement and a visual representation. In the article, the physical education teacher required that
all communities, regardless of sexual identity or skin color, are interrelated in effort to create a
new “social norm” in this classroom. Grouping students that integrate all backgrounds allows for
them to work together and witness the same capability to accomplish a common task. The
teacher did this through establishing teams for sports, allowing for straight, gay, bi, and
transgender students to all play the sport together (Scanlon, D, 2023). The teacher noticed in the
past a form of alienation and was determined that all students should have the opportunity to
partake in physical activities. When mixing all students it shows that everyone can participate
and grow in the classroom. The teacher noticing the separation and stepping in shows how
leadership can influence the inclusion of all communities and better learning.
Providing students with meaningful learning opportunities can allow for teachers to
implement ethical learning in the classroom. Classroom activities that discuss different
viewpoints of people is a form of social/emotional intelligence and prepares students for the
‘real-world’. Teachers who create activities that surround social/emotional learning helps
students gain a better ethical understanding. Preis discusses the importance of building ethics and
emphasizes that teachers need to put effort into making well-rounded citizens- rather than
passing State-testing students (Preis, 2017). In addition, using the classroom to discuss ethical
dilemmas and teach students to understand the perspective of others will allow for them to be
more successful in their career and allow for social justice to happen (Preis, 2017). Using case-
studies, discussions, and real-world dilemmas can make for more meaningful and deeper
conversations amongst secondary-students who are able to understand and relate to their own
experiences. These discussions can allow students to understand others and be empathetic to
Students and local community members who participate in group discussions that revolve
around the social needs of a society provide students with learning opportunities allowing them
to connect with others who have also dealt with similar experiences. In addition, providing this
learning opportunity for teens allowed for local professionals to address the needs that need to be
addressed in schools. Assisting with these activities not only allowed for teens to get help , but
connected them with resources they could use in their future. Discussing such sensitive topics
not only needs to be handled in a particular manner, but needs the support of professionals ready
Preis discusses the importance of secondary educators using the space and opportunity to
teach more than the curriculum that is provided by the state (Preis, 2017). Apart from preparing
students for their future, teachers should give examples of meaningful discussions and ability to
controlled and respected, these young individuals can take experiences from the classroom to
become well-rounded citizens. Teachers should consider restructuring their curriculum to ensure
that students are gaining more than just fact-based knowledge. The curriculum provides the
opportunity for students to take life lessons from the classroom into the real-world. Adjusting the
curriculum to cover both content and social issues ensures that students become productive
members of society. Taking advantage of the diversity in the room can ensure greater learning
opportunities and benefit the overall society (Preis, 2017). Understanding the differences allows
for students to learn from experiences that they may never have to personally go through.
Learning from others encourages empathy and understanding that others may have different
ideas and values based on their past experiences. This blossoms the mindset that other
Teachers need to use case-studies in class that relate to common societal issues that are
currently going on. Using case-studies that relate allow for students to provide their own voice
and opinion based on personal experience or opinion. Learning activities that encourage
conversations not only provides a deeper meaning but allows for classmates to learn from the
experiences of others. Relatable case-studies also bring awareness to students and teachers about
Community Buy-In
In many situations, a buy-in from supporting groups is a necessity to ensure for the
program/change to occur. In the school system this is just the same, if students, parents, and
administrators have no reason to believe that courageous conversations are worth having then the
likelihood of them occurring diminishes drastically. Many young learners are fearful of getting in
trouble and will shy away from speaking out because of their ideas not aligning with their
teachers, parents, admin, or community members. Therefore the support of parents and
administrators of courageous conversations, will increase the likelihood and implementation for
Teachers who are willing to gain the understanding and confidence to discuss social
justice in their classroom will be more likely to have courageous conversations. This encourages
buy-in from teachers and admin who may not have previously understood the need for social
justice change and the opportunities that can be used in the classroom. Teachers who are willing
to participate in additional training outside of their work-day, can better support their students'
needs. This is particularly true amongst students who are marginalized and experience social
barriers that implicate their day-to-day life. Teachers who allow their previous notions and
opinions to be disrupted, can provide their students better with open perspectives and ideas.
Teachers must be willing to consider different techniques to meet their students in order to
ensure all needs. Societal needs are changing, and teachers who are willing to participate in
training allow for them to feel comfortable to embrace and re-iterate those techniques that will
benefit all students (Kennedy, Elnicki, Torrieri, & Scallan Walter, 2022).
The other issue of buy-in is the age gap, for example, older individuals may think they
know better just because they have been alive longer. Since all experiences can be perceived
differently not one age group can determine right from wrong but give advice on what to do.
Another barrier that will prevent possible buy-ins may be the age gap that presents a disconnect
between generations. Many may disconnect based on their childhood experiences and traumas
they endured. Many may assume that previous generations are conducting their day-to-day
wrong because it is different from what they experienced. Younger generations may feel like
they are not accepted or understood by their elders because of the different experiences they both
endured (Davidson, S. R., & Boals-Gilbert, B. 2010). This creates poor rapport from elder
community members who need to buy-in for the courageous conversations to occur (Edwards,
With a disconnect amongst generations, specifically middle and high school students,
teens will struggle to speak up about their experiences and needs because it differs from their
possible leaders' experiences. However, the millennial generation of young teachers can help
bridge this gap and help connect the understanding of young students and veteran teachers
(Edwards, C., & Harwood, J. 2003).Younger teachers who may better understand both
generations can allow for both groups to see each other's point of views. It is a more accepting
world and the progress towards this is a must have situation so that every human can be seen as
equal. In addition, having diverse leaders who have the background and understanding of social
justice needs may have a positive influence on the whole school (Tran, H, et al, 2020). Hiring
staff members who do not need additional training in social reform serves as an asset to teachers
and students.
Continuing from the generation gap, it is a good idea to know what buy-in looks like
from older generations. This usually comes from administrators as they have more experience
and age. Mansfield explains how when an admin wants to create social justice issues they always
have a plan of attack and continually provide resources and professional developments for their
teachers and staff (Mansfield, Jean-Marie, 2015). They highly encourage staff to take everything
that they learn and use it in their own classrooms. The admin visits the teachers classrooms to
assist and make sure the staff fully understands how to present social justice issues in the correct
manner. Teachers also then feel more comfortable with social justice when they know that the
This falls right in with the fact that the staff needs to buy-in to fixing social justice issues
as well. To start creating teacher buy-in, viewing other teachers in the process will do just that.
We know as new teachers any good school will have a mentor teacher program, but not many
have a social justice teacher mentor program. As new teachers come in they should be offered a
mentor with social justice training as then it will allow new teachers to see the importance of
social justice(Scanlon, D, 2023:Shelton, S. A. 2019). This allows for new teachers to get on the
job training in social justice, ask questions to current social justice teachers, and really see the
benefits for the students. Since the ultimate goal is to always give students what they need,
understanding the need for social justice should allow for new teachers to want to make these
changes and create a safe environment for students to openly discuss social justice issues.
Parent Buy-In
Over five years, Cook ran groups and interviews of parents, teachers, and administrators
through this, it shows the importance of social justice in schools and understanding what students
in high school and middle school need from them. The activities gave the participants an idea of
the disadvantages students may face based on their backgrounds, while the interviews asked
them questions surrounding social justice issues. After the first year, there was a positive trend in
the atmosphere of the school and that trend grew through the five years of this study taking place
(Cook, A. L, et al, 2020). Following this short study shows the more courageous conversations
occur with the right buy-in, the easier they are to have and more likely they are to occur. After
the first year more parents, staff, and admin were willing to take part in courageous
conversations to help their students to express themselves. Each year this positive trend
continued.
With the diverse populations present in many schools across the country, the need for
social reform through courageous conversations is a necessity. In order to meet the social and
emotional needs of students, middle and high schools need to support the marginalized groups
with conversations that acknowledge sensitive topics. Engaging in sensitive conversations can
provide the opportunity for students to share and learn about different personal experiences.
Engaging in intentional conversations that surround social justice issues can restore the feelings
teachers, administrators, board members, and parents must attend a professional development
(PD). The PD will provide the opportunity for these individuals to understand the importance
and need of the implementation of these conversations. In addition, these individuals who are
attending hold a position of power and can influence these conversations becoming a reality.
Attending the four-week PD will provide the proper training to give these individuals the
Conversations in the Classroom” and will be a 55-minute session once a week during the month
of October. The PD will be held at either a local Middle or High school that will open the
invitation to Middle and High school teachers across Howard County, parents of students, board
members, and administrators. All of these individuals are people who would benefit from
understanding the purpose of courageous conversations and the necessary buy-in from all of
these groups. The PD will be held following dismissal of the school day (approximately 3:15-
4:10) in the school media center. This will ensure that all members can attend without having to
worry about finding coverage, or taking off work. Opening this availability will hopefully
increase the number of individuals who will attend and benefit from the training. The PD will be
offered consecutively in order to build off each week's topics and understandings. School staff
may be invited to attend, but all are welcome to volunteer. Having these individuals participate
will strengthen the school and community bond that supports student behavior, support, and
relationships.
The training will be structured to cover a variety of topics, focusing on major social
justice issues each week. These social concerns involve racism, ageism, and LGBTQIA+
members that many marginalized young teens experience prejudice and bias remarks and
comments. The misunderstanding from others fosters an ineffective learning space that allows
for all students to come as there and be embraced for having these characteristics. Individuals
who attend the training will understand that there is a need for courageous conversations to be
had involving these marginalized teens so the classroom can be equitable. In addition, the
individuals who attend will understand what a courageous conversation should look like and the
benefits that come from a properly structured conversation. Lastly, members of the training
should be able to leave with the tools to have their own courageous conversations and be an ally
to teens. These tools include how to effectively and appropriately communicate sensitive topics
in a way that encourages others to share and feel respected. These tools may also include
examples of conversation structures, rules, expectations, and supplemental materials that are
necessary.
In order for this social change to occur in the classroom, educators will need the time, the
knowledge, the training, and the community support in order for these courageous conversations
to be used effectively. Having this support will encourage leaders who have power to ensure
Before the Training ● Send out a mass email to all teachers, parents, administration,
staff members, and school board members regarding the
upcoming professional development to seek out interest and
ensure everyone has the opportunity to attend and benefit from
the training.
● In the email, there will be a Google Survey that interested
participants will complete that will outline the length, time,
topics, and provide the opportunity for participants to ask
questions/comments in regard to courageous conversations
Location The PD will be held each week at the same middle school in Howard
County in the Media Center each week during the month of October.
Goal The goal is to allow for the participants to understand the need for
courageous conversations and the benefits they can have on teens and
in the classroom. In addition, the goal will be for the participants to be
able to understand how to successfully structure a courageous
conversation and provide the tools necessary for the participants to
facilitate them in the future.
survey, they will also take the same survey after. Please view Appendix A for the survey. The
purpose of the survey is to gather information on the comfort level of all the teachers in the
concept of social justice. This survey will then be shared with the teachers, names omitted, so
that they can gather their own thoughts on how difficult these conversations are to have but also
to see the importance of having them. After the results have been shared, the facilitator will share
a short YouTube video with the teachers discussing the research that supports relationship
After the survey and video has been completed, participants will create a straight line
across the room so that everyone starts in the same position. They must answer ‘yes’ and ‘no’
questions, for every question answered ‘yes’, the participants will be allowed to step forward.
These questions will be based on social justice issues pertaining to diversity, family background,
and racial issues. Please see Appendix C for the list of questions. Once all the questions have
been asked, the participants will be spread out across the room showing everyone how social
injustice can cause an unfair advantage in life and prevent people from achieving their goals.
Once this activity has been completed, as a whole group the participants will begin to
reflect on their experience during the activity. The leader of the activity will ask probing
questions about what the teachers noticed and how it made them feel. The purpose of this
activity is to start creating the dialogue for a courageous conversation to occur. Eventually,
participants should have a free flowing discussion. At this point the leader of the activity will
allow conversations to continue while making sure they are still respectful. Once a good
conversation has occurred, the group will come back together as whole to realize they
themselves have had their own courageous conversation, to which then the leader will provide
some information on how to conduct this activity for their own use. At the end of the information
section, the participants will be then asked again to take the brief survey to view how their
The following is the outline of the professional development that will be implemented as
admin, parents, and board members who would benefit from understanding the use of
courageous conversations in the classroom and school settings. Each week the training will
discuss a different topic including: relationship building/ social justice, race/ racism,
LGBTQIA+, and agism. Participating in each of these topics will allow for participants to
understand the barriers that prevent students from having their needs met in the classroom.
Objective: Participants will be able to understand the impacts of race and racism and the
experiences that individuals have encountered that interfere with their sense of belonging in
school.
Materials:
● Name tags
Vocabulary:
or marginalized.
experience.
Timeframe: 55 minutes
The guest speaker will be invited from the group “Courageous Conversations”. This
group holds a national summit every year and we will be asking one of their speakers to come
and discuss social justice issues. Hearing from a guest speaker will motivate teachers to hold
their own courageous conversations and hear real stories of social justice controversy. These
speakers have been holding their summit for 12 plus years and are well-versed in courageous
conversations. The link for their most recent summit will also be provided to the teachers during
Session 4: Reflection PD
Teachers will use this professional development as a reflection session through the use of
Jamboard, see link in Appendix H. Allowing for reflection lets the teachers see their own
progress of their uses of courageous conversations and what worked well for them in the
classroom. The Jamboard allows teachers to answer questions anonymously for free discussion
through the session. Teachers will also be able to provide feedback on all their professional
development activities.
Conclusion
Holding courageous conversations with students can provide valuable information for all
to understand and empathize with all communities. The conversations have specific requirements
that are needed allowing for them to occur in safe spaces, organized activities, and buy-in from
all communities in the school system. When these supports are in place it allows for all students
to grow. Once the teachers have the correct support through the professional developments, they
will then be able to support the students in courageous conversations to make their schools a
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Appendix A
In this survey you will be asked to rate your knowledge and feelings towards social justice. 1 to
5, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
1) How well do you know social justice issues?
1 2 3 4 5
2) What is your comfort level talking about racial issues?
1 2 3 4 5
3) Is social justice important to learn?
1 2 3 4 5
4) Do you believe racial issues should be discussed in the classroom?
1 2 3 4 5
5) What is your comfort level on having to lead a courageous conversation?
1 2 3 4 5
Appendix B
YouTube Link: The Power of Relationships in Schools
Appendix C
1) Take a step forward if you come from a two-parent household.
2) Take a step forward if you did not have to work in high school.
3) Take a step forward if you never had to worry about where your next meal was coming
from.
4) Take a step forward if you know what social justice is.
5) Take a step forward if you have never experienced racism.
6) Take a step forward if you have never been turned away because of your race.
7) Take a step forward if you have witnessed racism and did something to stop it.
8) Take a step forward if you have ever had a courageous conversation about race.
9) Take a step forward if you know what a courageous conversation is.
Appendix D
● Who is your hero and why?
● If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
● Describe the last time you felt extremely happy and what about that situation made you
feel happy.
● What was the best life lesson that you have learned?
● If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
● If you had to make a signature dance move, what would it look like?
● Would you time travel 100 years into the future or 100 years in the past?
Appendix E
Appendix F
● Describe a time when you noticed prejudice or bias?
● Do you believe that racism is something that is still interrupting our society?
● How can racism interrupt the classroom?
● What is something that others do not understand about you that you wish they knew?
● When was a time that a teacher/ school experience prevented you from feeling like you
belong or connected to the community?
● How may this relate to those who experience racism?
● How does racism interrupt learning?
● How does racism interrupt the classroom community?
● When was the last time that you witnessed a teacher interrupt racism? How did this make
you feel?
● What was a time that you witnessed a teacher allow for racism to happen? How did this
make you feel?
● Why do you think that teachers may not interrupt racism when they witness it?
Appendix G
Link to Summit: https://summit.courageousconversation.com/
Appendix H
Link to: Jamboard Activity