Chelsea Proudlock & Ryan Kaslavage

Towson University

EDUC 605: Informing Educational Practice to Effect Change

Dr. Shargel

March 7th, 2023

 Abstract

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.
Creating Comfort Level
Open discussion
● Comfort level can be
created for students
through different activities
such as “over the line”
which is based on
personal experiences to
spread out participants to
see different life
experiences. (Cook, A. L,
et al 2020)
● For social justice issues
different groups have
varying feelings about the
other groups perspectives.
(Oto, R., & Chikkatur, A.,
2019).
● Creating a shared vision
will help to empower
students to talk freely and
create a common goal
among all. (Cook, A. L, et
al, 2020)
● Provide students with
ethical learning in the
classroom. (Preis, 2017)
● Administrators should
encourage group-work to
Providing organized spaces
Online
● Providing an online
opportunity for students to
meet and discuss their
needs, over time more
teens participated and
wanted to share their
voice. (Mosher, 2021).
● The online teacher training
showed that youth
engagement is important.
(Kennedy, Elnicki,
Torrieri, & Scallan Walter,
2022)
Community Buy In
Admin and Staff
● Teachers are more
confident to use social
justice practices in the
classroom after witnessing
social justice issues.
(Kennedy, Elnicki, Torrieri,
& Scallan Walter, 2022)
● Poor rapport can be due to a
lack of understanding
between the generations.
(Edwards, C., & Harwood,
J. 2003)
● Diverse leaders who will
consider social needs for
diverse learners (Tran, H, et
al, 2020)
● Older generations talk
down to younger students
feeling the need to replicate
disciplinary actions from
their education history.
(Davidson, S. R., & Boals-
Gilbert, B. 2010)
● Principal had mandatory
training for the teachers and
staff to attend, teachers
were then expected to use
the material covered in the
training and implement
them into lessons.
(Mansfield, Jean-Marie,
 share personal experiences
and become comfortable
with talking about the
uncomfortable.
(Mansfield, Jean-Marie,
2015, p 15)
Safe Spaces
● Adultism and the age gap
contribute to a power
struggle that prevents
open and honest
conversations. (Pech,
Valencia, & Romero,
2020)
● Admin can be the cause of
social justice issues in the
classroom. (Oto, R., &
Chikkatur, A., 2019).
● Rapport building will
foster a sense of trust
among students and their
teachers. (Mansfield, K.
C., & Jean-Marie, G.
2015).
● Understanding that an ally
is not one direct path but
is more on what the
students need. (Shelton,
2019)
2015)
● Offering mentor teachers to
preservice teachers to help
with social justice issues
provides a big impact on
new teachers. (Scanlon, D,
2023)/ (Shelton, S. A.
2019)
In-Person Parent
● Students were able to see
others' personal views ● Parent and admin buy-in
through the teacher
will create a whole group
providing four questions
social justice presence in
about what others may do
the community. (Cook, A.
in other situations with
L, et al, 2020)
sentence starters. (Preis,
2017)
Learning Activities
● Physical education
teachers created different
activities and pamphlets
for students to do and look
at, along with a guest
speaker to learn about
LGBTQIA +. (Scanlon, D,
2023)
● Teachers discussing
different viewpoints of
people is a form of
social/emotional
intelligence and prepares
students for the ‘real-
world’. (Preis, 2017)
● Professional learning
activities can assist
students in understanding
social justice. (Mosher,
 2021, p 23)

● Curriculum should be
based on social
responsibility. (Preis,
2017)

● Teachers using case

studies shows relatable
examples to students to
encourage them to share
their own experiences.
(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

problem outside the school system.

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

opportunity in different settings and various sessions 3) buy-in from stakeholders.

Creating A Comfort Level

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

a change. However, as mentioned previously, discussions surrounding such topics can be

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

questions regarding experiences with income, racism, prejudice, generational backgrounds,

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

differences amongst their peers.

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

each-other’s view-points without the installation of open-discussions. Students may feel as if

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

teens and adults.

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

through the common good of all people.

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).

In order to become comfortable with controversial discussions, there is a need to

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

sensitive, topics can occur (Mansfield, Jean-Marie, 2015).

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,

Valencia, and Romero, 2020).

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

one another on the importance of understanding everyone's perspectives.

Another example of safe spaces not being encouraged at a school, is described in an

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

supported by peers and staff.

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

feel safe and accepted can improve the school environment.

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

talk about the LGBTQIA+ community.

Providing Organized Spaces

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

teens (Mosher, 2021).

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

what marginalized people may go through.

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

to step-in during the activity to provide their services (Mosher, 2021).

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

communicate through difficult topics. Allowing students to participate in a space that is

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

ideas/values are not wrong just because they are different.

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

the commonality of the social justice issue (Preis, 2017).

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

open discussions in the classroom.

Administrative/ Staff Buy-In

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,

C., & Harwood, J. 2003).

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

administration has their back.

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.

Vision for Change

Rationale and Target Audience

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

of isolation and misunderstanding. In order to structure effective courageous conversations,

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

understanding to facilitate these conversations on their own.

The four-week professional development training will be called “Courageous

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

these conversations can happen, to actually take place.

Courageous Conversations in the Classroom; A Professional Development Plan

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

Targeted Audience Secondary education leaders (including administration, teachers,

parents of students, board members).

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.

Topics Method/ Strategy Resources Time Frame

Session 1 ‘Over the Line’ activity ● The Power of Oct. 4th,

Relationship where all the participants Relationships in 2023
Building and will be asked to simply Schools Link in
Community step ‘over-the-line’ if the Appendix B 55 minutes
Establishing the statement being read ● See Appendix A
importance of applies to them. and C for ‘Over
relationship building the Line’
and the role it plays Participants will engage in questions and
in conversations. a circle discussion that survey
The ability to involves reflecting on what
understand and they learned and the
empathize with benefits of being able to
others will dive deeper into sensitive
demonstrate how topics that are not
others have normally shared.
experienced similar
and different things
throughout their life.
Engaging in the
activity will also
provide participants
with the
understanding on
how to use such
strategy in their own
spaces.

Session 2 Participants will engage in ‘Get to know’ Questions Oct. 11th,

Conversations a moving activity that will Appendix D 2023
about Racism require those to stand in
Understanding the front of each other making ‘Social Justice Matters’ 55 minutes
importance of two circles (one facing out, Poster provided in
recognizing racism one facing in) and the Appendix E
in our culture and participants will be asked
the effects this has to answer the question Facilitator circle
on students and posed by the facilitator. questions
classroom learning. These questions will serve Appendix F
In addition, as an opportunity for
participants will be participants to get to know
able to identify each other better.
sensitive topics that
need to be discussed Participants will engage in
and focused on in a peace- circle where they
order for social will be asked to share their
justice to occur. experience with sensitive
topics. This will mimic
how courageous
conversations can be held
in the classroom with
teenagers.

Session 3 Participants will listen to a Guest speaker Oct. 18th,

Conversations guest speaker in order to 2023
about Social Justice motivate and encourage Link to summit in
Understanding the the participants to be a part Appendix G 55 minutes
importance of social of social justice change.
justice and the role it
plays in the
classroom.
Motivating
participants to
continue to seek
social justice reform
through the power of
a guest speaker.

Session 4 Participants will be Jamboard Activity Oct. 25th,

Reflection on completing a Jamboard Appendix H 2023
Courageous activity to share their
Conversations experiences with all the 55 minutes
Participants will be professional development
able to discuss what activities.
they learned about
and reflect on the Participants will give final
sessions giving thoughts and give insight
insight to how they on how they will use the
will take what they training in the future.
learned to better
teenagers/classroom Participants will also be
s. able to provide the
facilitator with any
suggestions to better future
professional developments
and encourage effective
social justice training.
Session 1: Relationship Building and Community ‘Over the Line’ PD

Participants in this professional development would start by taking a five-question

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

building in the classroom. The link for the video is in Appendix B

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

answers and others have changed.

Activity/Time (55 mins) Description

Pre-Survey (5 mins) ● Participants will take the five question

anonymous survey, then the facilitator
will go over the results anonymously.
See Appendix A

Introduction (15 mins) ● Facilitator will brief everyone on what

social justice is, discuss the activity
and let them know this is about being
honest with ourselves and answering
the questions truthfully.

● Facilitator will show the video that

motivates the participants about the
importance and how this has been used
in other schools across the country.
Appendix B

● The facilitator will describe the rules

of “Over The Line”. Everyone starts at
the same spot and as questions get
answered, participants will either step
forward or not move. Remind
participants at any time if they need to
take a break they may.

Over The Line (15 mins) ● Participants have been instructed on

the rules, please see Appendix C for
questions

Debrief (15 mins) ● Facilitator will ask participants what

they noticed during the activity, this is
meant to be a free flowing but
 respectful conversation. This is meant
to be a way to start courageous
conversations(The facilitator needs to
remind them of this once the
conversation stops).

Re-Take Survey (5 mins) ● Participants will retake the anonymous

survey and the results will be
published to determine the change in
answers.

Session 2: Conversations about Racism PD

The following is the outline of the professional development that will be implemented as

a part of a four-week ‘Courageous Conversations’ training. This training is open to teachers,

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:

● Social justice professional

 ● Chairs (one for each participant)

● Writing utensils (markers, pencils, pens, sharpies)

● Large sticky post-it notes (2 or 3 packs)

● Name tags

● Personal items that can be held as a talking piece

Vocabulary:

● Race/ racism- prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual,

community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their

membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority

or marginalized.

● Social justice- justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and

privileges within a society.

● Courageous conversations- courageous: not deterred by danger or pain; brave. and

conversation: a talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in

which news and ideas are exchanged.

● Prejudice/bias- preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual

experience.

Timeframe: 55 minutes

Activity: Timeframe: Timeline/ Notes:

Introduction 10 minutes ● Participants will sign-in and write their name

on a name tag to wear
● Participants will take a seat in any chair
(chairs are placed in a giant circle all facing
each other)
 ● Facilitator will introduce themselves and
explain the rules of the circle
○ Rules:
■ Only speak when you have the
talking piece
■ Do not walk through the circle,
instead exit out of the circle
■ Self-care is encouraged. Take
care of yourself and use the
restroom/ leave to take a call
whenever necessary
■ Follow the group expectations
that are established in the
beginning of the session
■ Only pass the talking piece to
the left
● Facilitator will begin with practicing the use of
the talking piece by passing it to the left and
asking for each person to state:
○ Name
○ Personal preferred pronouns
○ How they are feeling
● Once the talking piece has made its way all the
way the facilitator will stick a large post-it on
the wall and will ask the participants to share
any rules they would like to add to the post-it
to remember before the session begins
● The talking piece will move to the left and as
each individual shares the expectations of the
group the facilitator will write them on the
post-it note
○ Look for: respect, what is said in the
group stays in the group, use ‘I’
statements, do not judge others, ask
questions, etc.

Briefing/ warm-up 10 minutes ● Facilitator will begin by projecting a poster

that describes why social justice matters and
the statistics that support the need for it in the
classroom (see Appendix E below). The poster
provides detail on how marginalized students,
including African American, are treated
differently than their counterparts.
● Every-other participant will be asked to stand
in front of the other in order to create two-
circle (one facing out and one facing in)
 ● The facilitator will read a question or
statement and will ask for the two who are
standing across from each other to
answer/respond (see Appendix D)
○ Questions/ statements will include:
Who is the most influential person in
your life? If you could have one
superpower what would it be? Name a
time when you felt completely
embarrassed. etc.
■ This will create a sense of
community and allow for others
to understand each other better.
This activity will help the
participants understand each
other and break down the
barrier of nervous-ness

Activity 20 minutes ● Participants will return back to their chair and

the facilitator will remind everyone to recall
the rules before transitioning to the topic of
race/ racism
● Facilitator will review the key vocabulary and
terms that will guide the topics of the activity
(listed above)
● Facilitator will then ask the group their
thoughts on the following and will pass the
talking piece to the left allowing each person
to share. Anyone who does not want to share
is not required and can simply ‘pass’ or hand
the talking piece to the next person
○ Questions will include: (see 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?
■ Etc.

Connection 10 minutes ● The facilitator will then transition to the

connection and ask the group to bring up
anything that they found notable and profound
from the questions/ conversations

Closure 5 minutes ● The facilitator will thank all the participants

for coming to the space and for sharing/
listening to each other
● The facilitator will pass the talking piece to the
left and allow for anyone to ask any questions
or share any final thoughts before leaving the
circle.
Session 3: Guest Speaker PD

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

this professional development, see Appendix G.

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

better learning environment for all.

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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