English Teachers' Day - All Day Session: Themen déi brennen! Wéi ginn ech als Enseignant/e domat ëm?

Kontext / Contexte

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 teacher 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 recognising and reacting to anti-democratic (discriminatory, anti-constitutional, glorifying violence) attitudes.

This raises numerous questions for teachers:
- What does the legal framework prescribe?
- When and how should or must one react to it?
- What stance can the teacher take?
- What challenges do controversial topics pose in the classroom?
- How can the teacher meet these challenges?
- How can favourable 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 among themselves and deliberate on the appropriate way to deal with them. 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 to be able to adopt appropriate attitudes and to embody them confidently.

Zielsetzung / Objectifs

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

Skills
Participants will
- 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
- are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of different stances.

Attitude
The participants
- 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 favourable framework for dealing with burning issues.

Inhalt / Contenu

- 08:15 Registration
- 08:45 Welcome speech
- 08:50 Keynote speech – Nik Peachey, "AI in the Classroom: Challenges and Opportunities" (OUP)
- 09:45 Coffee break
- 10:00 Workshops
- 11:30 JBK Young Teacher Award ceremony
- 11:45 Lunch break
13:00 Keynote speech – Alex Warren, "For What it’s Earth - Incorporating Sustainability Education into EAP Classrooms" (National Geographic Learning)
- 14:00 Coffee break
- 14:15 Workshops
- 15:45 Plenary (+prize draw).

Arbeitsformen / Approche méthodologique

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

Referent, Referentin / Formateur, formatrice

Steve Hoegener, collaborateur du Zentrum fir politesch Bildung

Remarques / Anmerkung

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS WORKSHOP IS IN LUXEMBOURGISH.

DO NOT SIGN UP IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT.