In January 2020, school leaders laid the groundwork for a workshop series by asking students in advisory groups to explore their identities and how they shape their opinions and beliefs. The students also developed a list of rules for engaging in challenging conversations, which includes imperatives to be honest, speak positively of others' viewpoints, and make efforts to get along with everyone regardless of their faith, gender, race, age, sexuality, or views.
After developing the rules, students participated in several all-school dialogue workshops that administrators led—one in January and two in the fall. In the first workshop, they discussed parts of their identity with a partner, and students were asked to actively listen to their partners and then share what they learned. Subsequent workshops used prompts—like asking students to pick the statement that is most respectful—so that students could dig deeper into what a considerate conversation looks like and how to handle difficult ones in which emotions run high.
In addition to continuing to offer all-school workshops throughout this semester and beyond—some of which will include virtual meetups with student groups from other Sacred Heart schools around the world—the school has developed a Dialogue in Literature class where students can analyze the misunderstandings that occur in the anthology One World: A Global Anthology of Short Stories.
What’s happening at your school? Share your story with us at [email protected].
Woodlands students (left to right) Stephanie (’22), Berkeley (’22), and Alice (’23) engage in a workshop called “Social Awareness that Impels to Action.”
What’s happening at your school? Share your story with us at [email protected].