Teaching Before and After an Election

As we approach the US Presidential election, we recognize that our academic community has been navigating a particularly challenging fall semester. From personal life events to the collective experience of Hurricane Helene and its lingering effects, our usual academic rhythms have been disrupted. Now, with the election on the horizon, we face another potentially emotionally charged period. The FDC aims to provide you with strategies and resources to support both you and your students during this time. 

Self-Care and Preparation 

Before addressing your students’ needs, it is crucial to attend to your own well-being: 

• Develop a flexible but tangible pedagogical plan for the coming weeks to quell teaching uncertainties. 

• Rely on your personal healing capacities through creativity, connection, or contemplation. 

• Use the pedagogical considerations guide from Boston College to assess your frame of mind before meeting students post-election. 

Assessing Your Classroom Environment and Student Preparedness 

Consider the following factors when deciding how to approach whether or not to facilitate election-related discussions: 

• Have you been consistently using connection-forming activities or icebreakers? 

• Has your class co-created an atmosphere of trust? 

• Is there alignment between your course content and election-related topics? 

• Have you established clear classroom norms and expectations for respectful dialogue and disagreement? 

Strategies for Engaging with Election-Related Topics 

If you feel prepared and your class environment is conducive: 

• Implement strategies for facilitating difficult dialogues and respectful disagreement. The Project Pericles deliberative dialogue facilitation guide and the University of Minnesota’s resources on supporting challenging conversations can be valuable tools. 

• Utilize resources from Braver Angels, such as their “Skills for Bridging the Divide: Conversations Across Differences” Presentation and Participant Guide. 

• Consider using Professor Danielle Vinson’s 2020 pre- and post-election discussion guides to structure your conversations. 

If you are not ready for in-depth discussions or your course has not previously included such dialogues: 

• Consider inviting students to reflect individually through writing exercises to process their reactions. 

• Use the workshop slides from Syracuse’s Center for Teaching and Learning, which provide “scripts” for acknowledging controversial events without delving into detailed discussions. 

Incorporating Election-Related Themes into Your Curriculum 

Even if your course is not directly related to politics, you can tap into the learning potential of the election if it aligns with your teaching values and you have the bandwidth to do so. As we highlight in our teaching during an election teaching tips collection you might: 

• Discuss media and information literacy, helping students evaluate the credibility of election-related information. Duke Library’s resources on evaluating sources can be a good starting point. 

• Explore themes of civic engagement and how they might align with your course goals. The Campus Compact offers resources for various disciplines. 

• Consider the election’s ample opportunities to discuss free speech and freedom of expression in your classroom. The National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement has collated several educator resources, including lesson plans.  

Supporting Student Well-being 

Regardless of how you choose to address the election in your classroom: 

• Be mindful of trauma-informed pedagogy principles to help students process election results. 

• Create a supportive classroom environment where students feel safe expressing their whole selves. 

• Provide information about campus resources for students who may need additional support. 

Additional Resources 

For more comprehensive guidance, consider exploring: 

• The 2024 Post-Election Campus Resource and Response Guide 

• Constructive Dialogue Institute’s 2024 Election Guidebook 

• University of Michigan’s “Preparing to Teach During the 2024 Election” Guide 

Remember, your approach should be tailored to your teaching values, comfort level, and course content and your students’ needs and preparedness to engage in class. The goal is to create a supportive learning environment that acknowledges the significance of this moment while maintaining focus on your learning goals and our shared humanity.