Social Emotional Learning in 5th and 6th Grade: Dialectical Thinking

One concept we have been exploring in 5th and 6th grade is dialectical thinking. This is a philosophy that teaches us no one has the absolute truth in a situation and we need to allow ourselves to see truth in both sides of an argument. It is a method of examining and discussing opposing ideas and can be very helpful as we navigate conflict. 

When we are in conflict or an argument, we sometimes find ourselves using language such as “always” or “never”. This “all or nothing thinking” can lead us to take one extreme position and believe that others are completely wrong. When this happens in an argument or a conflict, we tend to dig in deeper and we find we are stuck. Dialectical thinking is a way to get unstuck. 

In classes with 5th and 6th grade students, we explored this concept by analyzing examples in short videos. We thought critically about language and how changing the word “but” to “and” can be a simple and powerful way to change meaning in a sentence and influence our thinking. “You ran a great race, but you came in second.” carries different meaning and impact compared to, “You ran a great race, and you came in second.” We also played matching games to pair up seemingly opposite ideas, both of which can be true at the same time: “I can feel happy for someone and feel jealous of them.” 

Dialectical thinking challenges our assumptions, gives us perspective, and can help us be more flexible. It can be very helpful in resolving conflict with another person. It can also help us when we feel stuck with an internal dilemma. In 6th grade, we used a “ven(t)” diagram to do this (see below). Sometimes we are faced with two competing truths: opposites that are both true at the same time and it feels like they cannot overlap. The truth is often that we live in a reality in which both are true, which is represented by the overlap in the diagram. Sometimes, the simple act of writing down the two opposing ideas, can free us to think more creatively about the space in which they are both true. It is often in that space we find a path forward. I invite you to try it out sometime to see if you find it helpful!