The movable middle

In my education career, I’ve often had to teach contentious topics. I’ve always done this from a particular (progressive, left wing) perspective. But I learned very early in my career – thanks to a couple of really formative conversations with mentors – that the way to teach people to be kinder, more inclusive, and more respectful doesn’t lie in making them feel dismissed and unsafe and unwelcome. It lies in kindness, inclusion, and respect, even when we disagree.