Guidelines for Respectful Communication in the Classroom
| AVOID ASSUMPTIONS | When interacting with people who may belong to communities different from your own, always check yourself by asking: What do Ithink I know, and what do I actually know? Challenge those assumptions! |
| AVOID SPOKESPERSON
SYNDROME
|
Ensure that individuals speak from their own experience and not as the representative of an entire group. Be careful that you don’t become a spokesperson yourself. For example, you might use language such as “In my experience, ______” or ask, “In your experience, ______.” |
| PLATINUM RULE | Treat others the way they would like to be treated. The only way to know for certain what respect “looks” like to someone is to ask. |
| BE CURIOUS AND
ASK RESPECTFULLY
|
Put your natural curiosity to good use. Often our fear of unintentionally offending someone stops us from asking the necessary questions.
You might say something like, “If you have some time, I’d love to know more about _________.” This kind of language communicates that you respect people and are open to understanding a new perspective. |
| LISTEN ACTIVELY | If you are busy thinking about what you are going to say next while a person is still speaking, that shows you have stopped listening actively. |
| DEBUNK STEREOTYPES
|
Stereotypes can be the worst culprit in creating conflicts and
misunderstandings. Watch out for keywords such as “all,” “always,” “never,” “them,” and “those people.” |
| ADDRESS BEHAVIOR,
NOT BELIEF
|
All individuals are free to believe whatever it is that they believe. However, all students must behave respectfully toward one another in the classroom and in school activities. |
| ENCOURAGE
LEARNING |
Learn from every encounter and use those insights to continue building your knowledge base. |
| ACKNOWLEDGE AND
APOLOGIZE FOR MISTAKES
|
Considering how different and unique we all are, we’re all going to make mistakes. But mistakes are important to make—you can learn from them, and they provide an opportunity to deepen our understanding of one another—so long as they are dealt with properly.
You must first acknowledge the mistake, take ownership, and genuinely apologize for the mistake made. |
This resource was designed by Tracey Kassin, a member of the 2025-2026 Tanenbaum Network of Inclusive Educators. Adapted from “Guidelines for Respectful Communication,” © 2024 Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.