When the volcano erupts: Teaching laboratory

Socio-political divides, hate speech, and other complex dynamics are increasingly finding their way into our classrooms. Led by Dr. Jessica Bleuer, in partnership with Centre for Teaching and Learning at Concordia University, this interactive workshop gives educators an opportunity to explore and practise strategies for addressing difficult classroom moments.

Through Forum Theatre, a critical pedagogical approach rooted in Theatre of the Oppressed (Boal, 1979), student actors will reenact challenging moments - such as a racial microaggression or a polarized debate about international conflict - while participants experiment with different interventions. Instead of suppressing or ignoring tension, the lab gives educators the opportunity to transform these conflictual moments into acts of affirmation, repair, and belonging.

Learning outcomes:

• Co-create new strategies for challenging classroom dynamics;
• Reflect on different approaches and their effectiveness through working through scenarios;
• Gain clarity around pedagogical objectives when geopolitical tensions arise in the classroom.

Audience: Faculty, staff, and TAs. Open to external participants from CEGEPs and universities.