Controversy in the Classroom

by Diana E. Hess

In a conservative educational climate that is dominated by policies like No Child Left Behind, one of the most serious effects has been for educators to worry about the politics of what they are teaching and how they are teaching it. As a result, many dedicated teachers choose to avoid controversial issues altogether in preference for "safe" knowledge and "safe" teaching practices. Diana Hess interrupts this dangerous trend by providing readers a spirited and detailed argument for why curricula and teaching based on controversial issues are truly crucial at this time. Through rich empirical research from real classrooms throughout the nation, she demonstrates why schools have the potential to be particularly powerful sites for democratic education and why this form of education must include sustained attention to authentic and controversial political issues that animate political communities. The purposeful inclusion of controversial issues in the school curriculum, when done wisely and well, can communicate by example the essence of what makes communities democratic while simultaneously building the skills and dispositions that young people will need to live in and improve such communities.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 2009

Reviews

[Matt]

This professional resource seems as relevant and needed today was when it was published in 2009. Hess, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offers a definitive guide for teachers and leaders to facilitate classroom conversations around issues students want to talk about.

How do we enact these practices and dispositions today? I had the opportunity and pleasure of listening to the author speak recently. Here was her response: “Principals are so important.” It starts with leadership, both formal and informal, along with the courage to prioritize civil discourse skills to sustain an active and productive democracy.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a couple of chapters with Facing History working group. Using now with a grad school class, applying sections to discussion about equity, critical thinking, and democratic engagement.

I read through reviews -- yes, there's always controversy in a classroom. But the how we engage our students, that's the part that can move towards critical thinking or dogma if you're lazy or malicious.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good look at supporting high quality democratic discussion in the classroom, particularly for high school social studies content teachers. Points tended to be made directly and cleanly throughout the book and I found that I agreed with most of her points. She obviously brings a wealth of experience through the different paths her professional career has led her and she blends these well in her delivery. My favorite chapters came in Section III where she examines "Teaching to the Tip" and the strong American curricular response to September 11, 2001. I also liked how she cited the impact upon the larger culture overall, ranging from how pop culture responded ("The Boss") to how textbook companies chose to record as well as to avoid potential controversy in the curriculum.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's ALWAYS controversy in my classroom... so maybe I wasn't the target audience for this book. Hess makes a strong case for using "controversial issues" in the classroom- but in my case, she was preaching to the choir. She also presents some very practical examples for incorporating controversial issues into classroom practice. I'm going to steal a couple of tidbits from this. Not a bad read for undergrads in teaching prep programs, social studies in particular. And... Hess put on a very nice presentation, although perhaps tried to cram too much in during our three hours together.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting book that explores the importance of a democratic education. This includes being a good critical thinker and being able to discuss political issues in a respectful and thoughtful way.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book supports evidence based argumentation in the classroom