Sharing Authority in the Classroom: Civic Reasoning and the Art of Being Comfortable With Discomfort

• In Event: Civic Reasoning and Discourse in a Post-Pandemic World

Abstract

Purpose. Engaging youth in civic discourse over authentic controversies is necessary for creating an informed citizenry that can address injustices. Yet nine states have recently enacted laws prohibiting the discussion of content related to racism and/or sexism in the social studies classroom (Education Week, 2021). Four of these laws explicitly forbid teachers from engaging students in activities that may cause, “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex” (cited in Snyder, 2021). Such laws are likely to cause teachers to avoid controversial content altogether.
We examine these political trends in light of the arguments and recommendations presented in the NAEd chapter, “Pedagogical Practices and How Teachers Learn.” Specifically, we address the necessity of discomfort for civic reasoning—for both teachers and students.
Framing. As Stitzlein (2021) argues in the NAEd volume, learning to reason civically and engage in civic discourse involves a wide range of knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions, including the willingness and ability to listen to others, give reasons for one’s view, share the discussion space, and seek fair and just solutions to complex problems. Reasoning civically relies on historical, political, and other forms of knowledge—as well as having the fortitude to look at uncomfortable truths.
Identity is also central to civic reasoning: who we are is central to how we reason. Importantly, democratic deliberation includes an expectation that people do not advocate positions from pure self-interest; instead, they seek solutions that are attentive to the common good (Gutmann & Thompson, 1996). Civic reasoning involves seeking solutions that promote a fair and just society and rectify current injustices.
Modes of Inquiry. The “Pedagogical Practices and How Teachers Learn” chapter focuses on three themes:
1. pedagogical and curricular scaffolds that foster youth civic reasoning;
2. how students’ identities influence their engagement with critical controversial issues;
3. how educators can be prepared to provide high-quality learning opportunities to further students’ civic reasoning skills.
This commentary draws upon and extends the central findings and recommendations in each of these areas with attention to the role of discomfort in the civic development of the teacher and students.
Argument. Contrary to calls to avoid discomfort in the classroom, future teachers must learn how to respond to the discomforts that necessarily arise within civic discourse—for both teachers and students. Civic discourse requires students to take collective responsibility for discussion, which requires teachers to share the discussion space—an idea that makes many teachers uncomfortable. Thus, teacher education must provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to learn how to share authority in the classroom.
Discussion also makes students uncomfortable—sharing one’s views with peers requires vulnerability. Thus, teachers need strategies for building the trust necessary for discussion. Further, both teachers and students need strategies for responding to uncomfortable moments that will likely arise during discussion. Such strategies, in turn, require developing socio-political awareness and racial literacy so that teachers and students can better understand and empathize with different perspectives that arise in the classroom.

Authors

• Paula McAvoy, North Carolina State University

• Jane C Lo, Michigan State University

• Diana E. Hess, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Hilary Gehlbach Conklin, DePaul University