This way you prevent polarization in the classroom

Violence of war, attacks or a political murder: children quickly receive intense images on their mobile phones. Emotions run high. How do you discuss these types of topics in class? And what do you, as a teacher or support person, do with your own opinions and feelings?

The conflict between Israel and Hamas is the latest example. After the violence in early October 2023, horrible photos and videos appeared on social media, including on the timeline of Dutch teacher Marjolein Mantelaers.

What was happening in the world gave her a stomach ache: “I thought: if this affects me so much, what about my students?” At the same time, she became unsure: “How do I start this conversation? Because anything I say could go down badly.”

MBO teacher and television maker Karim Amghar also immediately reacted when things went wrong in Israel and the Gaza Strip. He made one lesson letter which was downloaded tens of thousands of times within a few weeks: sixteen pages, in which the word 'conflict' or 'war' does not appear (see tip 3).

The lesson could just as easily have been about the attack on Charlie Hebdo (2015) or the murder of Samuel Paty (2020), says Amghar. “As soon as you make something about this, it's a potential minefield. And at the same time, they are the best cases to test where we stand as a society. And therefore also as a mini-society at school.”

Know where to find reliable facts

Marjolein Mantelaers was on autumn break when Hamas struck and Israel invaded Gaza. “I had a strong feeling that I had to be well informed. I didn't know the context of the problem well enough. But yes, I was away with my family and did not have time for extensive literature research.”

Reliable media such as Jeugdjournaal, NOS Stories and SchoolTV often provide good material shortly after an incident, says Remco Pijpers of Kennisnet. In addition, the school or board can help, Mantelaers thinks. For example, with the help of your own history or social studies teachers. A simple email with links and some short guidelines sometimes gives the teacher or support person just that little bit of support.

Start the conversation

Somehow you have to, because when emotions are high, learning often comes to little fruit. Is the subject sensitive to your pupils or students? For example, use the talking stick method. In his teaching letter, Karim Amghar calls it The Dialogue. The chairs are arranged in a circle and students take turns in speaking. Classmates and the teacher are not allowed to respond, but they are allowed to ask in-depth questions.

This creates space for everyone's perspective, for emotions, in Amghar's experience. “If others are not allowed to respond, you are much freer to give an answer that is close to you.” And when you “really trust the wisdom of the class,” “the right emotions come to the surface,” says Amghar. The group then keeps itself in balance: “Even if someone shares an extreme point of view or strong emotions, the group often feels: this is not okay. There is always a student who has a suitable experience or opinion in return.”

Watch your word choice

Pupils or students who have clearly chosen a side may become angry at certain words. For example, by calling the situation in Israel and Gaza a war, you can unintentionally spark a heated discussion. “A war is taking place between two states,” Amghar declares. “If you notice that a word is a trigger is, it is important that you do not get defensive, like: no, this is how I want to discuss it and if you don't like it, then just leave.”

'Do you want to win the argument? Or do you want to teach young people skills to deal with differences in society?'

In the worst case, such a reaction can radicalize someone further, according to Amghar. Personally, he has clear views on Israel and Palestine. “But in my role as a teacher, it usually doesn't matter.” It's about the purpose of your lesson, perhaps even of your teaching position: “Do you want to win the discussion? Or do you want to teach young people skills to deal with differences in society? For me it is clearly the latter.”

Turn toward hope and comfort

“In November 2015 I kept watching, hungry for updates on Twitter (now X) about the terrorist attacks in Paris,” Remco Pijpers writes about his own “formative confrontation” with war and terror on LinkedIn. 'I couldn't stop refreshing my horror feed. I was exhausted, completely upset. Now it is 2024. Swipe has never been so fluid. The tidal wave is even more overwhelming.”

Children do not always want to see those images, but it does happen. Education staff can help them by pointing out the good, hopeful things that are also happening. Pijpers calls this 'peaceful viewing'. For example, pay attention to the 'helpers', such as the doctors, nurses and firefighters who care for people and remove them from the rubble. And to the 'comforters': people who perform sweet acts, who hug someone or pat them on the head. Have students also seen them?

Find connecting examples

#Deeldeduif was popular in October and November last year. An initiative of four Amsterdam young people, with both Jewish and Palestinian people roots. After unpleasant events, these types of connecting actions often quickly follow. #Deeldeduif helped Mantelaers with the right equipment for her lesson: “Young people who are looking for ways to deal with misery. That is more appealing than a teacher, from another generation, who talks about connection.”

'If we drift apart here in the tiny Netherlands, it honestly won't help anyone at all'

According to Amghar, looking for connection is a task of education. “If we drift apart here in the tiny Netherlands, if both Muslim hatred and anti-Semitism grow, it honestly doesn't help anyone at all. So we have to connect, common ground to search."

Be aware: this takes energy

You are actually more of a discussion leader than a teacher; a completely different profession than transferring knowledge. Mantelaars: “Students are disarming and respond primarily. It is very beautiful, but also intensive. After such a lesson about an intense event, I am devastated. Because you use your antennae all the time, even more than usual.” Especially if you are a starting teacher, you do not have to take on this challenge alone, says Mantelaers. “If possible, ask a colleague: a teacher or an experienced support worker.”

The lesson may also proceed differently

Amghar now teaches citizenship to future beauticians at secondary vocational education. He found it more difficult to come into contact with these girls who, exaggeratedly, find their nails extremely important, than, for example, with students where the chairs flew around the room. Amghar: “What I do then: ask advice from a colleague who is good with the target group.” At Mantelaers, no discussion ultimately arose regarding the situation in Israel and Gaza, but students mainly indicated that they had difficulty with the unpleasant images, including in games. The class discussed the option of temporarily not playing fighting games that use real life war images, for example.

Text Joëlle Poortvliet, editor of Onderwijsblad | Image Nino Maissouradze

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