Navigating Challenging Classroom Conversations — Dr. Michelle Perkins
Education charity Teach for Tomorrow, www.teachfortomorrow.org, creates tools, resources and lessons that help teachers and educators unlock new levels of understanding, awareness, emotional intelligence and critical thinking in their students. Our purpose is to create a better world - one classroom at a time. We have over 20 years' experience in developing student-facing resources, and in training teachers to use these, and our proven approaches, to build young people's empathy, critical thinking skills, constructive dialogue and civic agency. Polarised and extremist content is reaching young people at unprecedented speed, however, nearly two-thirds of teachers admit they side-step challenging classroom discussions because they lack the confidence and tools, and appropriate time, to handle them sensitively. In this workshop, education charity Teach for Tomorrow will share strategies and activities to create supportive learning environments where brave and necessary conversations about current events and challenging topics can take place. The session will consider: how our perspectives and experiences shape our responses; engaging with different perspectives; building a foundation for relationships rooted in empathy and understanding; disagreeing and sharing views respectfully. We will share examples from our Teach for Tomorrow teachers and students to demonstrate the impact of opening up brave spaces for conversation, and signpost resources to further support your curriculum.
About the speaker
Dr. Michelle Perkins is the Head of Programmes and Partnerships at Teach for Tomorrow. Michelle is responsible for the growth, development and direction of Teach for Tomorrow's programme activities, including: developing and piloting new models with teachers and students; educator engagement and communications; facilitating CPD; working with corporate partners and donors; and developing partnerships. Michelle has a BA (History), MA (Jewish History and Culture) and PhD from the University of Southampton, and has previously worked in the academic and corporate sectors. Michelle is a parent governor and trustee at her local primary school, and a trustee of the charity Journey to Justice.
