English Teachers' Day – All Day Session: Theemen, déi brennen (Burning topics)

Kontext / Contexte

08.30 - 09.00: Registration
09.00 - 10.00: Keynote speech 1 "Cultivating Change (Makers)" [Harry Waters, OUP]
10.00 - 10.30: Coffee break
10.30 - 12.00: Workshops Morning session
12.00 - 13.00: Lunch break
13.00 - 14.00: Keynote speech 2 "Gender and Sexuality in ELT – why we should have roasted the PARSNIP long ago" [Charlotte Williams, OUP]
14.00 - 14.15: JBK Award
14.15 - 14.30: Coffee break
14.30 - 16.00: Workshops Afternoon session

Zielsetzung / Objectifs

Knowledge
The participants will learn:
- the legal situation regarding freedom of expression in Luxembourg
- which statements cannot be allowed without comment
- about the grey area of many of those statements
- about the challenges and how to deal with controversial issues.

Know-how
The participants will be able to:
- be aware of where to draw the line of what can be said
- know some techniques for responding to inappropriate statements
- acquire the necessary skills to react appropriately in certain situations
- know different stances they can take in discussions
- be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of different stances.

Posture
The participants will:
- consciously leave room in their lessons for engaged discussions among students in the spirit of freedom of expression
- show attitude and civil courage when confronted with statements that exceed the limits of freedom of expression
- create a favorable framework for dealing with burning issues.

Inhalt / Contenu

Dealing with and discussing current and often controversial topics cannot be avoided in everyday school life: the war in Ukraine, climate change, the consequences of Covid can become a topic in every subject or be an issue a régent has to deal with. Such controversial topics and discussions can lead to dicey - often emotionally charged - situations in the classroom.
It doesn't matter whether students are asked for their own opinion in class, whether they discuss current topics or talk / argue with classmates during the break. As a teacher, you are regularly confronted with statements (not only from students) that might be inappropriate. As an employé/e or fonctionnaire d'État, you are obliged to respect the basic democratic order and the constitution. This also means recognizing and reacting to anti-democratic (discriminatory, anti-constitutional, glorifying violence) attitudes.
This raises numerous questions for teachers:
- What does the legal framework concerning freedom of expression prescribe?
- When and how should or must one react ?
- What stance can the teacher take?
- What challenges do controversial topics pose in the classroom?
- How can the teacher meet these challenges?
- How can favorable framework conditions for dealing with controversial topics be created in the medium or long term?

The relevant legal texts are examined. The participants have to position themselves on individual statements, discuss their points of view and deliberate on the appropriate way to deal with some of these statements. They receive tips on how to deal with difficult situations in the classroom related to controversial issues.
In addition, the training addresses the challenges that teachers can encounter in dealing with controversial topics and discussions. The training will show different ways for teachers to deal with certain situations and how to react in the best possible way.
With the help of case studies from everyday school life, the participants reflect on the necessary competences and appropriate attitudes to manage such situations.

Arbeitsformen / Approche méthodologique

- Theoretical input
- discussion in plenary and small groups
- analysis and exchange
- simulations.

Referent, Referentin / Formateur, formatrice

Michèle Schilt, ZpB
Romain Schroeder, ZpB

Remarques / Anmerkung

IMPORTANT NOTE: This workshop consists of two 90-minute sessions, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. If you sign up for this workshop, you will participate in both these sessions. The workshop is in Luxembourgish.