How can teachers help students navigate tough topics in an increasingly politicized world? Featuring perspectives from teachers and students across the country, this unique book provides hope, applicable knowledge, and practical skills for teachers to address a range of current issues—including race, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, diversity and equity, civic engagement, ability and disability, school safety, social-emotional learning, immigration, and environmental justice.

Each chapter addresses one of those controversial issues and examines how teachers are grappling with it in their own classrooms. Each chapter is also informed by youths’ insights, drawn from the authors’ work with the Youth Research Council and the Through Students’ Eyes project. Features include suggested resources, reflection questions, and talking points to support teachers in framing discussions of the topic positively and accurately.

With the voices and skills in this book, you’ll be able to work with these issues no matter your own teaching contexts.

Meagan Call-Cummings, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. As a research methodologist, she emphasizes the meaningful inclusion of those who are often excluded from the knowledge creation (research) process – including teachers, young people, and communities of Color.

Kristien Zenkov, PhD, is Professor of Education at George Mason University. He is a long-time co-teacher with high school and middle school teachers and a dedicated boundary-spanning teacher educator. He’s most proud of his teaching, research, and advocacy work that recognizes youths and teachers as key informants for what teaching and school, at their best, might look like.

Jeff Keller is a high school history teacher and a doctoral candidate at George Mason University where his work focuses on how students and teachers experience teaching and learning about controversial issues in today’s political climate. He has taught for more than fifteen years, earning multiple honors at the school, local, and state level.