"Not Safe": how can teachers make oppositional readings safe for students?

Oppositional readings: understandings outside the text.

1)Explicitly say to the class that it is a safe environment for airing oppositional or contentious or argumentative perspectives.

2)Lead by example: be bold and present an oppositional reading first. Never criticize and be wary of constructive criticism.

3)Agitate the students' emotions (carefully). Potential for reward and potential for back fire.

4)Use groups to help with shyness/reticence. Experiment with different group arrangements. 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2.

5)Use debate tasks: give one student a 'dominant' agenda, another an 'oppositional' agenda.

6)Consider the sensitivity of issues: are there ways to make them more safe as they are presented?

7)Use encouragement: when a student ventures an oppositional reading give praise to validate and encourage further critical engagement with a topic or text.

8)Use a text that is oppositional in tone to facilitate oppositional thinking.

9)Present a procedure: something like the four questions we can ask:

1)Who is speaking? 2)From what authority? 3)Who is the (ideal) audience? 4)What kinds of people are described?
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Here's a poem I wrote for an undergraduate poetry class reflecting on my High school experiences (NB: the poem should be read with mini pauses between each line).

School

'Remember, boys
we are the school
on top of the hill'

When we practiced the haka
in assembly, one boy couldn't
do it right, he wasn't manly
enough, kept slapping his hands
like a girl, so the leader of
the rugby team pulled him out
front and made him do it
alone

In later years
one of the teachers
passing a third former
tied to a tree with his tie
asked if the boy was alright
on his way to class

You would think
the first punch
would surprise you
more than hurt you
but that wasn't the case
it hurt so much
i couldn't breathe

'Remember, boys
we are the school
on top of the hill'