Emotive Balls

Teaching sensitive topics and dealing with emotionally charged content

Author: Dr Claire Ellison

Which topics are considered ‘sensitive’ can be subjective, but those that often come to mind include race and ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexuality, physical appearance, disability, socioeconomic status, politics, religion, genetic testing, evolution, immigration, grief, loss, trauma, as well as others. Teaching sensitive topics can sometimes be foreseen based on the curriculum, but at other times students can raise points that take educators by surprise. National and world events can also sometimes encroach onto a curriculum in unexpected ways and educators must be prepared for the effects this will have on their teaching.

The aim of this guide is to explore techniques and strategies that will give staff confidence in managing these topics and discussions with students. It is important to recognise that sensitive topics can arise at any time and therefore this guide should not be seen as only applicable as support for those who have such topics on their curriculum. Students have a huge variety of lived experiences and views that they bring into the classroom and all staff need to feel comfortable in exploring sensitive topics with students. By integrating ideas from this guide into their practice, staff should feel confident in creating a learning environment where students feel as safe as possible and hence can learn effectively.

To view the guide please Download Teaching sensitive topics and dealing with emotionally charged content DIY guide.

Creative Commons Licence
Teaching sensitive topics and dealing with emotionally charged content by Dr Claire Ellison is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.