The very first day of this unit, before anything else, present students with The Four Agreements of Courageous Conversations, adapted from Glenn E. Singleton & Curtis Linton, Courageous Conversations about Race:¹⁹
The Four Agreements of Courageous Conversations
Stay engaged: Staying engaged means “remaining morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue.”
Experience discomfort: This norm acknowledges that discomfort is inevitable, especially in dialogue about race, and that participants make a commitment to bring issues into the open. It is not talking about these issues that create divisiveness. The divisiveness already exists in society and in our schools. It is through dialogue, even when uncomfortable, that healing and change begin.
Speak your truth: This means being open about thoughts and feelings and not just saying what you think others want to hear.
Expect and accept nonclosure: This agreement asks participants to “hang out in uncertainty” and not rush to quick solutions, especially concerning racial understanding, which requires ongoing dialogue.
This can be used as a Do Now, to have students read silently to themselves before asking “Why do you think I’d want you to read these?”; “What do you think we’ll be discussing today?” It may also be used as an Exit Ticket in the lesson prior. Then it can be re-read together as a class on the day of the lesson. Each day, these agreements should be revisited before beginning a new lesson. It may seem like overkill for the teacher who is saying them perhaps five times a day, but for students, especially in a high school setting where often classes don’t meet every day and students are shuffling through several spaces and subjects per day, it is necessary. After 3-5 lessons, it may be more appropriate to just repeat the headings, “stay engaged, experience discomfort, speak your truth, expect and accept nonclosure” before beginning, but still, a helpful recentering tool to remember before beginning.
