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The Importance of Establishing Ground Rules
Module 4: Guiding Inclusive Classroom Conversations*
From Ways to Incorporate DEI into Your Courses By David Luke, Chief Diversity Officer, University of Michigan, Flint
The Importance of Establishing Ground Rules
Approaching classroom conversations about racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and similar topics can generate fear and reticence among many students. There are numerous books on these topics, guides for having courageous conversations about race, crucial conversations, and how to handle opposition that you might encounter in the form of, for example, white fragility.
Some of the concern and hesitance among students stems from a lack of experience in having these conversations and a fear of being labeled (or even revealed to be) racist, sexist, or just a “bad person,” in the eyes of others. While centering privileged students in these spaces is generally counterproductive and avoids some of the hard work that needs to be done, having enough comfort to engage productively in the classroom space is necessary.
One way to assist in creating an environment conducive to productive dialogue in the classroom is through collectively established ground rules. Ground rules provide an agreed-upon set of guidelines to keep discussion on track. While some people choose to start with a blank slate when establishing these guidelines, there are several basic ground rule templates that you can use to begin (e.g. here, here, and here), and then you can ask students for any additional ground rules, clarify questions, or handle other comments that will generate buy-in.
You might provide the option that students can email you with ground rule suggestions later, but the agreed-upon rules must be vetted by the entire class to generate buy-in, so if someone emails you a suggested rule, you will want to discuss it at the next class meeting. I also suggest that you provide a deadline for finalizing the ground rules list early on in the term. In some instances, faculty have written the ground rules as a class contract and asked students to sign off on their agreement to the rules. This may be an option if it fits with your teaching and classroom management style.
In these types of conversations, particularly in courses where this is uncommon or unexpected, it’s very likely that these conversations will go awry at times. Pointing back to the ground rules can recalibrate and reset when this occurs. For example, a common ground rule is to “listen respectfully.” If, during a classroom discussion, someone makes a comment that causes a verbal reaction from others throughout the room, remind the class to continue to respectfully listen and allow the speaker to complete their thoughts. This is easier when you can refer back to the ground rules that were collectively established.
Two ground rules that I find particularly helpful are 1) assume good intentions of others. Everyone is interested in learning and growing together, and everybody is entering into the conversation in good faith. And 2) remind students of the “golden rule” to treat others how they want to be treated. A caveat of the good intentions rule is that if you observe students entering into a discussion not in good faith, you will need to address this issue directly and privately in order to preserve an environment conducive to learning.
*Published 07/22. © 2022 Sage Publishing. All rights reserved. All other brand and product names are the property of their respective owners.