Dialgoue in the Classroom

Fostering Civic Dialogue in the Classroom

How do we talk about the hard stuff — and stay connected while doing it?

Drawing on Living Room Conversations’ structured format for respectful discourse, Mismatch helps teachers bring civil dialogue into the classroom, fostering understanding across differences and equipping students with lifelong civic skills.

In collaboration with Making Caring Common, AllSides for Schools, Generation Citizen, and other civic partners, Mismatch.org supports educators in creating classroom spaces for thoughtful, inclusive dialogue.

This space highlights what that looks like in practice. Across several short posts, we’ll share resources, teacher voices, and practical strategies for building dialogue-rich classrooms. Here are the first three articles.

• Simple ways to build classroom norms that support dialogue

• Tools to help teachers respond when things get heated

• Downloadable activities to support student voice and listening

At its core, this series is about possibility. With the right structure and support, students can learn to disagree respectfully, speak honestly, and grow from the experience of engaging across differences.