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3 . See the plus sign ; assume the best . Most of us are aware of the dangers of stereotyping people because of race , gender , or orientation . We may be less aware of how else we may stereotype or make assumptions about those with whom we disagree . It can be helpful to use the plus sign , that is to say , work on the assumption that the other person has good intentions , until proven otherwise .
4 . It ’ s about the students . A school is not a place for adults to find an audience for their viewpoints . Classrooms are places for students to form ideas and make discoveries . Teachers should be able to take multiple sides of an argument to help students learn how to form an informed position .
5 . Use your mission . While students should feel safe to say what they are thinking , there are boundaries and some statements need to be challenged . A good faculty conversation would be to look at the school ’ s mission and define what those boundaries are , decide what kinds of statements should be challenged , and plan for the best ways to challenge them . •
Bob Mattingly , Executive Director of CSEE
CSEE Connections Fall 2021 Page 13