How are handling discussions around Hamas-israel conflict? My students are talking about it, and tensions are high and I'm wondering if it's worth having some kind of formal informal class discussion that I moderate?

I don't know if this is something you really want to get involved. The last thing you want is parents kicking up a fuss because you're "indoctrinating" their kids or some other nonsense. I'd abstain from engaging the topic.

In my health class I teach about finding valid & reliable websites to search for health info.
.gov, .org, .edu.
You could mention that it would be beneficial for THEM to research what is going on and make sure they do thorough research. (At home) They should also listen to and read the news including other nations news. (Not social media)
Allow students to be critical thinkers and develop their opinions through facts. I’m always telling my freshman that they have to understand what’s going on in the world besides their limited social media or word of mouth. I also remind them that in 3-4 years they are eligible to vote and they need to know so they can make smart choices for their future.

It came up in a quick side convo today. The few students that were at my desk all agreed Hamas is crazy awful, and it's wild that there are actually people trying to justify torture & violence.

I’m bothered that so many here are saying, “Don’t teach it. It’s too controversial.” When have we stopped tackling the hard subjects? If the students do the research, and the teacher stays neutral, then why not let the kids talk about it? No, it’s not easy. Yes, it may ruffle some feathers. But, we cannot avoid tough subjects because we’re overly worried. I know that today they want to blame teachers for every little thing, but are we supposed to stay in an echo chamber all day every day in the classroom? If we stopped teaching controversial topics, we couldn’t teach about many things: the Holocaust, genocide in Rwanda, how we treated Native Americans, slavery, etc. All could be deemed “controversial” even though they are fact.

I realize that some states are definitely moving in that direction, or are already there. I see no value in only teaching about puppies and unicorns as we prepare kids for the world.

/end rant

I think they need to understand there is a long and complicated history, and that other parts of the world remember their history in terms of millennia while most of us think of "our" history in terms of a couple hundred of years. And that can make it hard to understand what is really going on. It can also make it hard to understand how "they" (whoever "they" are) will act/react, make decisions, etc. And that is why we have been really bad at understanding the long term consequences of our foreign policies over several decades when we expect "them" to think and act like "us".

That could apply to Iran, Afghanistan, Vietnam, etc.

I work primarily 1:1/small group with Ukrainian and Central American students so they know what is happening, sympathize and can relate but they don't want to talk about it much because they are dealing with their own war trauma. They just want to learn English, go to school, make some friends and be safe.

I've noticed this is an incredibly sensitive subject, as it should be. Personally, I feel heartbroken seeing the news about all of the civilians who have died because of this conflict. I don't really think it's something I want to talk to students about though unless they came to me first, and it was in private. I don't want to stress out other students or their families.

I also think we need to talk in general about how we balance being aware and informed without becoming traumatized by being overly saturated in the details of a tragedy that goes on and on and on. It doesn't help the victims who are actually involved. It can make us so damaged we can't really do much. And with so many sources coming at us, 24/7, we can get it from social media and TV at the same time for hours on end.

The human mind and spirit isn't actually built for that.

I know World History is discussing it. I have no intention of discussing it in my class. My students have enough trauma without being inundated with traumatic events they have no control over in every class they walk into. We need to remember that for many students, school is their only safe space.

Honestly, I’ve been trying to educate myself about this conflict since it’s got lots of history behind it. 2 American hostages freed over the w/e, and I heard on the radio coming home that 2 Israelis hostages freed today. That’s good news.

All responses were very level-headed, logical and thoughtful. Thank you!

It depends upon the makeup of your classes. For example, my classes are primarily LatinX, so when immigration issues come up, things can get pretty heated. If you have students with good debate skills (they can separate ideas from people and can analyze issues dispassionately), then it might be worth it. The other students often find something new from a viewpoint other than theirs, and the resulting discussion can be very rewarding.

But you have to have the right students for this, and if you don’t, there’s little learning and lots of angry misunderstandings. So it really depends on the class.

If you’re well informed and can stay neutral, yes! You teach high school. This is meaningful to them and engaging. You’ll have to have strict ground rules but if you think your students can do this, go for it. You just might prevent violence if you allow the students to talk about what’s on their mind.

If we (anyone) can talk about their thoughts and feelings the need to act on those thoughts/feelings is greatly reduced. And, is more likely to keep the acting out at bay for longer periods of time. I also think if you’re thinking about doing it, you can pull it off. You might also need for than one discussion.

I believe the students should WRITE about it!?!

They are going to be hopefully voting soon so I feel as though open discussion could be a good idea!

Our administration asked us not to talk about it unless we teach history

Depends... Are you in a red state or a BLUE state??

Interdisciplinary studies provide a pathway depending on admin preferences in this regard.