A guide to challenging conversations

These strategies for having challenging conversations can be used to:

• discuss and acknowledge that people's perspectives may be informed by lived experiences, including family, community and cultural background
• explore multiple perspectives
• develop an understanding of language and its uses in different contexts and for different effects
• develop critical and creative thinking skills
• develop student voice and agency

Futhermore, the resource can be used to develop debating and deliberation skills across different curriculum areas, including Civics and Citizenship, History and English, or any subject that is engaging in discussion or debate 

This resource provides strategies that are flexible and adaptable, taking into account teaching context, the age of the students, appropriateness of the topic, the depth of discussion, as well as school and community expectations.

• Classroom connections

  This resource can be adapted and used across multiple year levels and multiple subject areas, especially when exploring complex topics or issues. Within the Victorian curriculum: Civics and Citizenship the resource addresses many aspects of the Diversity and Identity strand from Grades 3 to Year 10, and also connects to the Law and Government strands through the use issues-based examples and case-studies of the law-making process.

  The issues-based discussions also have connections to Victorian curriculum: History and Victorian curriculum: English, and can also be used to explore issues across any VCE subject where discussion-based exploration of issues is appropriate. There are also a range of Capabilities that students develop through engaging with contemporary and Challenging issues, these have also been summarised below, according to the Capability strand.