How to encourage active listening among students when teaching History
The author and Teach For Italy Fellow, Sara Cambarau. Sara taught History at a high school in Cuneo, the S. Grandis institute during the 2022-23 school year, and now teaches Italian at the Enaip Piemonte Vocational School in Turin.
Sometimes it is not easy to address topics in class on which students have divergent opinions. Carrying out a debate, the ability to argue one's opinions and listen to those of others, is a process that needs to be built together with the students .
At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, the 11th grade class at the professional institute where Teach For Italy Fellow Sara Cambarau taught became the stage for a heated discussion among students on a controversial topic: same-sex adoptions. During an oral argumentation workshop on student-chosen topics, in fact, in response to one group's presentation, the class divided into two opposing factions that couldn't engage in constructive dialogue. The dynamic immediately caught the teacher's attention: the two sides were uninformed and, more importantly, not listening to each other.
To address the situation, Professor Cambarau decided to create a structured space for discussion during the subsequent lessons. Firstly, she encouraged her students to utilize digital resources, bringing computers to class for research and finding reliable sources. Later, she booked the Auditorium. On the day of the debate, there was one fundamental rule: active listening. When students spoke, they had to restate the opponent's point of view; only after obtaining approval from their counterpart could they present their own argument. This approach led to increased mutual understanding and helped dispel the initial hostility, transforming the confrontation into a dialogue.
Following the activity, a questionnaire revealed that the students had appreciated the experience, and regardless of their stance, they felt comfortable expressing their opinions. Professor Cambarau ensured that no one felt judged, contributing to the creation of an open and respectful learning environment.
The day of the debate
The questionnaire submitted to the students after the debate
Within the history program, Professor Cambarau continued to foster argumentation and the confrontation of different perspectives. For instance, during the study of the Crusades, students examined the phenomenon using Christian, Muslim, and Jewish sources to understand how the narration of events and perception changed based on the author and cultural context. During assessments, when sources were presented anonymously, students demonstrated the ability to discuss and reason about various elements to reconstruct the author's point of view.
Subsequently, as a "real-world" assignment to delve into the Renaissance, small groups analyzed a Renaissance city each and even proposed an educational itinerary in that city, arguing the choice to convince the class council to consider it for a future field trip.
Finally, through projects unveiling the history of the everyday, such as the historical reflection on the origins of common dishes and foods, she sparked a curiosity even in those who disliked the subject.
“For me, what matters are the small victories in the classroom, when I see in the eyes of the students that they understand that this subject ‘is useful for something’. When a spark of curiosity lights up in them, it ignites the desire to listen and know more and more”
Sara Cambarau
Teach For Italy Fellow of the 2022-2024 cohort
