by Pharrah Lowther
Pace is a very unique school. We go on trips around the world and dedicate days to helping our community. We also engage in conversations about a wide range of topics. However, some of them can be very sensitive to some students. For example, Pace has a large Jewish community, and the Israel-Palestine War is something that hits close to home for a lot of the students.
So that brings the question to mind: How should we talk about sensitive topics like this at school? Should we be talking about it at all? Here are some (summarized) responses:
“Yes. I think we should be able to talk about sensitive things as long as we have a safe space where people are respectful and mindful of different opinions, perspectives, identities, and experiences. People must be comfortable sharing their feelings and they should be heard. There should be time for people to ask and answer questions if they feel they are being misunderstood. More importantly, we need to work on our abilities to listen for understanding without discounting people’s experiences. If we go into conversations with a learning mindset and are curious to explore different perspectives than our own, this would allow us to approach sensitive topics with confidence and humility”. – Dr. Boehner
“Certain topics shouldn’t be discussed. For example, the Israel-Palestine War isn’t something we should talk about because lots of people feel very strongly one way or the other, and some don’t really know what they’re talking about, so we shouldn’t talk about things some don’t have the knowledge to discuss”. – Ila Gibson
“It’s important for people our age to have a general concept of things, so it’s important to talk about things even if they are sensitive. It shouldn’t be the central topic of school – but we should do it. It should teach us how to think but not what to think”. – Evie Brunt
“I don’t think teachers should tell us what to think or take sides but we should be able to talk about sensitive topics” – Mac Luber
“It depends. It shouldn’t be random. People need to be aware of things before they try and talk about them. You don’t want to make someone mad or offend them.” – Coleson Moseley
“Sometimes. Younger kids shouldn’t be exposed to things that might upset them, but in Middle School, we should be able to handle most things.” – Julia Lanier Groves
What do you think? Do you think sensitive topics can or should be discussed in class at school? Are there better or worse ways of supporting this? Let us know!!