Leading and Supporting Tough Conversations from the Library

by Kesha S. Valentine and Barbara E. McLeod, December 2021

The AASL standards, as a guide for library programming, call on us to have a specific focus on preparing our students for their journey as global citizens. Several of the competencies highlight multiple perspectives and skills that will require intentional practice over time to become routine. As our country begins to reckon with the injustices and inequities established by its racist history, the weight of these competencies is that much more obvious.

Tough Conversations Are Inevitable

Our students need to be prepared to face the tough conversations that surely await them in school and beyond. Our students will be placed in positions where they will have to stand up for themselves, and for their friends. They will have to interrupt conversations that they know are harmful. They will have to learn how to share their feelings and have healthy discourses on topics that have been controversial for ages. Our students can develop the skill and confidence to participate in these tough conversations by observing adults modeling inclusive behaviors and engaging in guided practice in the library's safe environment.

AASL Standards Offer a Framework

Our standard foundation of Include states that "Students will demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to inclusiveness and respect for diversity in the learning community." One of the best ways to create a culture of appreciation and respect for diverse opinions is for educators to establish a tone of inclusion. Among our responsibilities as a librarian is the need to build relationships and learn the interests of and uncover gifts and talents of all our students. As you come to learn more about your students how will you help them to learn more about one another?

Students have probably been working in collaborative groups throughout their educational experience. What you may not know is what kind of guidance they have had on how to work cooperatively, share the load, and respect one another's diverse opinions and viewpoints. We have all witnessed students working in groups where one dominant student will often take over and the other group members will simply follow their lead. While the need for guidance is obvious, the method may not be! The key to the success of our students in achieving the competencies within the Include foundation lies in the design of our lessons.

In the Create domain under Include it is not difficult for the instructor to create groups where students will "Interact with learners who reflect a range of perspectives." However, placing students in carefully chosen groups may not result in students' achieving the competencies in the Grow domain where students are expected to "Seek interactions with a range of learners" and "Demonstrate interest in other perspectives during learning activities." There is no guarantee that these important skills will evolve organically. It is up to the librarian to build in the expectation that everyone should have a voice and that all ideas should be considered. Students need to understand that part of the assignment is to seek and demonstrate inclusiveness.

Provide Deliberate Opportunities to Practice

We have come to know that one of the best ways to illustrate expectations for learners of all ages is to show them what it looks like and illustrate how it sounds. So, how will you design your lessons to build in opportunities for your students to acquire these important skills? One way to accomplish this is to locate a stellar example of an educational YouTube video where you can stop and give prompts for discussion that lead to "A-HA!" Unfortunately, this may mean hours of searching without locating the desired resource.

Another way to clarify expectations is to model the process and provide expected outcomes. Show the students what fulfilling your expectations might look like by demonstrating using the "fishbowl" approach. One group works with the librarian while the rest of the students surround and observe. Since our library lessons should always include inquiry, start with a scenario from a novel, historical period, or current event and pose a question. Open the floor to wonderings and discussion. Students should understand that they are in a safe space and all points of view are welcome. It may be helpful to use a "safe space object" that students hold and pass to anyone who wishes to contribute to the discussion. While they are in possession of the "safe object" they can respond without interruption and know that their opinions will be considered with respect.

Deliberately including the exploration of multiple perspectives supports an inclusive learning environment and encourages students to develop a habit of seeking more than one narrative. The practice of asking for and considering more than one viewpoint reminds students that other experiences and approaches exist in addition to their own.

There are many opportunities to practice seeking other perspectives in your library lessons. As an example, consider having students seek an opinion about a genre or type of book format they normally would not read. Armed with sentence stems, students may practice walking up to someone then asking a question and using their active listening skills. Then, it might be appropriate for some students to ask a carefully selected follow-up question, while others may be prompted to give a brief summary of what they heard. During both exchanges, you can observe the process and intervene and make notes as necessary to understand your student's skill levels in this area and design or adjust your intentional lesson plan. After the exchange, you can provide a reflective opportunity for students to share how they felt while they were sharing and listening.

During the sharing, the librarian should take every opportunity to point out and showcase a unique opinion or perspective that a student has offered and how it helps all to grow and expand their mindset. Students should be encouraged to make comments that express their new understandings. Model appreciation for comments with statements like "Thanks for that. I never thought of it that way!" "That's a great idea!" "Two heads really are better than one!"

Learning through Directed Reflection

Students, in some instances, are already familiar with rubrics and reflection as self-assessment tools. A great way to give students explicit expectations is to create a tool to support their discussions. This tool can outline goals for inclusion and provide a space for reflection at the completion of the lesson or activity. Students can refer to the guide during group work and discussions to be sure they are accomplishing the goals.

As an example, a pre- and post- lesson guide might list selected Include competencies and give students a space to write down how they will achieve the goals during this lesson. The same lesson guide can provide space for written reflection on their success and growth after the lesson. Wording for the expectations may need to be adjusted for your different learners.

As our students continue to grow and develop their personal perspectives, a foundational approach might be to encourage them to ask questions about what they feel they know to be true and what evidence they have to support their claim. Inquiry skills are an asset here. From examining their perspectives, students can begin to ask important questions that will drive the inclusion of other viewpoints in their conversation. As students begin to understand the importance of including multiple perspectives into their discourse, it may be helpful to add some questions or sentence frames to the expectations guide mentioned above. Additional questions that might be shared with students in the guide are:

• Who is sharing the dominant narrative?
• Whose voice am I not hearing?
• Why might this voice be missing?
• How am I feeling?

The Library as a Safe Space

Our work as librarians is to prepare a learning environment where all students can engage in these conversations. This includes practical, meaningful opportunities for practice and a space that offers protection and respect. Trust is critical to this endeavor. Students must know that the thoughts they share will be respected. There will be a learning curve for students in this process and ultimately, they will look to you for protection. Your credibility is established through your willingness to model inclusion in your language, in your collection, and in your library program. Your example speaks volumes.

Our students are growing up in a world that offers them the opportunities to learn from and interact with many people from all walks of life. This access brings with it the need to be prepared for tough conversations at a much younger age. As leaders in our schools who work with every student, we can help them prepare for these conversations. It is up to us to provide a safe harbor where they can freely express themselves and learn to navigate their ever-changing, diverse world.