Sarah Ropp, PhD

Resources for Dialogue

These are some of the resources for dialogue that I have created over the past several years. I update this page regularly with new resources, so bookmark it and check back!

You are welcome to use any of these materials and to share them with your students and colleagues! Please do not remove any attributions (to me or to other educators and scholars).

I would love to hear from you about how you are using and adapting these resources! Please reach out to me at sropp@upenn.edu with your feedback and suggestions for current and future resources.

Preparing for Dialogue

Getting Ready to Dialogue: A Primer for ParticipatingDownload
Thinking About Harm: Towards a Shared Foundational UnderstandingDownload
Practicing Presence: Connecting with Your Bodymind for Deeper Dialogue with Self and OtherDownload
Why Speech: Reasons We Choose to TalkDownload
Metaphors Not to Live By: A New Language for DialogueDownload
Why Silence: Reasons We Choose Not to TalkDownload

Planning for Dialogue

Dialogue Planning Essential ElementsDownload
The WHY: Defining a Purpose for DialogueDownload
The WHAT: Objectives for DialogueDownload
The WHO: Participants and Partners for DialogueDownload
The HOW: Formats and Modes for DialogueDownload
Building Community in Dialogue: The Art of the Check-inDownload
Curating the Environment for DialogueDownload
Effective Norms for DialogueDownload
The Art of the Dialogue Question SetDownload
Reflection and Synthesis: The Art of the Dialogue Exit TicketDownload
Technologies for Dialogue to enhance accessibility, inclusion, & engagementDownload

Facilitating Dialogue

Getting Everyone to Talk: Strategies for More Democratic & Inclusive DialogueDownload
Making Space for Emotions in DialogueDownload
Managing Dialogue: Common Problem Behaviors & What to Do in the MomentDownload

Topics-Based Resources

Self Advocacy through Professional Communication: Guidelines & Resources Download
When Emotions Run High: Addressing What’s Happening Beyond the Classroom or OfficeDownload
Structures for Processing Current Events (2 Dialogue Activities)Download
Most Common Attitudes towards Social Class Identity from DeMethra LaSha BradleyDownload
7 Types of Rest by Saundra Dalton SmithDownload
8 Kinds of Believers from Robert NashDownload
Ijeoma Oluo’s Rules of Engagement for Talking About RaceDownload
Protocols of Western Culture that Impede Authentic Race Talk from Derald Wing SueDownload
The 3 Conversations: Anatomy of a Difficult Dialogue (from Difficult Conversations by Patton, Stone, and Heen)Download
Paulo Freire’s Foundations for DialogueDownload
Thich Nhat Hanh’s Criteria and Elements of Loving SpeechDownload
9 Models for DialogueDownload
10 Essential Concepts related to Campus Speech from Sigal Ben-PorathDownload
Anti-oppression Pedagogy: Basic Principles from Beth BerilaDownload
Abolitionist Teaching Principles from Bettina LoveDownload
Differences between Western and Indigenous Approaches to Knowledge by Libby RoderickDownload

“Decolonizing Dialogue” SNF Paideia Blog Series (Fall 2021)

Paulo Freire and Dialogue as “Existential Necessity” for Liberation

Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence by Derald Wing Sue

Moving Mindfully through Difficult Dialogues with Beth Berila

The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez

Stop Talking by Ilarion Merculieff and Libby Roderick

Inclusive Freedom as a Framework for Campus Speech by Sigal Ben-Porath

Thich Nhat Hanh: “Our Communication Is Our Continuation”

Abolitionist Teaching and Learning with Bettina L. Love