Discussing Controversial Issues:
Establishing Norms

Norms for discussion establish the ground rules for how discussion proceeds in the classroom. Norms are, in part, based on a common understanding of what discussion is and is not.

Examples of norms created by others can be a useful starting place for developing your own classroom norms. For example, the Constitutional Rights Foundation has developed a test-based discussion model called the Civil Conversation

They recommend the following norms for discussion. As you read them, consider what kind of atmosphere for discussion these rules are designed to create:
1. Read the text as if it were written by someone you really respected.
2. Everyone in the group should participate in the conversation.
3. Listen carefully to what others are saying.
4. Ask clarifying questions if you do not understand a point raised.
5. Be respectful of what others are saying.
6. Refer to the text to support your ideas.
7. Focus on ideas, not personalities.
Respect is a key word in these rules—and a key in creating an overall classroom atmosphere conducive to open discussion. A climate of respect among students and between students and teacher is a requirement if students are to feel free to express and explore ideas freely. Students must feel confident that their ideas will not be judged on the basis of whether they are similar to the teacher’s views (whether the teacher’s views are explicitly expressed or not). They must also feel free to change their views as they learn about an issue—to try out different perspectives.

Engaging students in the process of developing norms can be a way for the teacher to demonstrate respect for students’ ideas and to give students ownership of discussions. Diana Hess often poses the following question to students:
At the end of this discussion, we want everyone to feel like their position got a fair hearing. What rules do we need to make that happen?

Teachers are sometimes surprised that students create a list of norms very similar to what the teachers themselves might have imposed—and they are much more committed to the rules they developed themselves.