Hot moments—times when passionate class discussion flares into something ugly and undesirable— can happen any time. They may be even more likely now thanks to the political and social earthquake centered on the 2016 election. We build upon our last episode and explore more ways to structure your class so students feel safe when talking about controversial issues. The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology’s Dana Karraker highlights strategies for dealing with hurtful speech when unexpected hot moments occur: what to say, how to move forward, and why doing something is almost always better than not reacting at all.

Find links to additional resources on this week’s show notes page.

Let’s Talk Teaching is a free podcast for instructors at the Illinois State University, produced by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology. You can listen to past episodes and subscribe using your favorite podcast app or through iTunes by going to CTLT.IllinoisState.edu/Podcast.