Navigating Heated, Offensive, and Tense (HOT) Moments in the Classroom

​Regardless of course topic or content, challenging conversations, moments of rupture or disruption, and heated encounters may occur in the classroom. Anyone can be the target and/or the cause of these moments: students, instructors, TAs, guest speakers. Given that everyone enters the classroom with an array of social identities and previous experiences, these moments may be unavoidable. Though they are complicated and can be difficult to respond to, there are steps instructors can take to anticipate and navigate HOT—heated, offensive, or tense—moments before, during, and after they occur. This resource provides strategies that can be implemented in any course context. 

On this page:

• What are HOT Moments?
• Developing Your Response
• Strategies for Navigating HOT Moments
• References & Resources

What are HOT Moments?

The acronym HOT refers to moments that are Heated, Offensive, and/or Tense.

• Heated moments are characterized by yelling, accusations, or name-calling. It is immediately clear that something has gone wrong and there is a rupture in the course. 
• Offensive moments are when something offensive has been said. Perhaps someone has used a racial slur, or has made an offensive comment about a group or individual; it may also be that someone has made an inappropriate joke at the expense of a particular social group. These moments could become heated, depending on reactions, but if the offensive moment is unaddressed or unacknowledged, it’s possible members of the classroom community may sit silently or withdraw.
• Tense moments may be difficult to address or identify. These could be moments when the room goes silent after a comment  or remark has been made, or students are uncomfortable with the course material or discussion. There’s no single moment of explosion or reaction, but it’s clear that something has shifted. 

Note: these categories are not mutually exclusive, and it’s possible that moments can be heated, offensive, and tense all at once.

Developing Your Response to HOT Moments

When HOT moments occur, students will look to the instructor to address them. How instructors respond or follow up will determine whether learning is impeded or not. Seizing HOT moments as an opportunity for growth and learning, and working with students (and TAs, if applicable) ensures that the class can move forward in productive and fruitful ways. 

There are individual actions you can take to help prepare your responses and to increase your comfort level. To begin, reflect on your past experiences navigating HOT moments:

• How have you navigated HOT moments in the past? 

• What sparked the HOT moments in your course (e.g., your own biases or assumptions, a particular course element)?

• How did you respond (or not respond) in the moment? 

• What impact did your response have on course climate and student learning? 

• What might you do differently going forward? 

With these reflections, your course context, and your students in mind, explore the strategies for before, during, and after class that will help you prepare for navigating future HOT moments.

Strategies for Navigating HOT Moments​

The following sections offer questions for reflection and strategies for navigating and responding to HOT moments before, during, and after class. In some instances, if a particular strategy is suited for a moment that is notably Heated, Offensive, or Tense, that is called out explicitly; when not called out, the strategy is one that might be applied and adapted across situations and contexts.

Before Class 

Anticipate HOT moments. Although these preparatory actions cannot ensure or guarantee a HOT moment will not arise, they can help create an environment in which it is easier to move forward. Some possible strategies for addressing HOT moments before a course or class meeting include: 

Establish class norms, discussion guidelines, and/or content warnings: Is it clear to your students what the expectations are for classroom etiquette, engagement, and interaction? 

While class norms and guidelines won’t ensure HOT moments never happen, they can be valuable tools for navigating these moments when they arise, as they give the class a shared grounding to turn to in the moment. Establishing class norms and guidelines is also a great opportunity to partner with learners in co-construction of these agreements. This collaboration can also help students feel a greater sense of agency and ownership of the expectations. 

Reflect on the course material and/or previous iterations of the course: What materials (e.g., readings, topics, assignments) might spark HOT moments? Or what materials sparked HOT moments in previous iterations of the course? 

Does the course include particularly challenging readings or topics? Did HOT moments occur previously? Identifying these areas in the course can help instructors better prepare for potential HOT moments. Instructors might also consider providing additional framing or context that might have preempted the HOT moment previously.

Provide supplementary course materials and accompanying discussion prompts: Are there supplementary course materials  that might help preempt a HOT moment, or provide additional context? What are the areas of the text or material that you would like students to focus on? 

Supplementary materials, such as readings that offer additional perspectives on a topic, are one way to prepare students for challenging discussions. By introducing these perspectives ahead of the discussion, instructors can help students critically interrogate ideas and opinions before class. During discussion, then, students can attribute ideas or concepts to a cited author and not a classmate. As with any strategy, providing these materials does not ensure that a student won’t raise a particular viewpoint or perspective that results in a HOT moment; rather, providing the materials is one way to anchor the topic in a particular conversation or context. 

Additionally, discussion prompts or questions that accompany or prepare students for the discussion can provide a shared foundation to turn back to if or when a HOT moment occurs. You might also collaborate with students, asking students to develop questions to start a discussion. Again, like with any strategy, having these questions won’t ensure that no HOT moments arise, but rather, they can help students ground their responses in shared material.

Consider the current social climate and context: Are there recent events (internationally, nationally, or locally) that might contribute to a HOT moment? 

Classrooms can serve as microcosms of the broader context. Thus, it’s no surprise when classes are impacted by external events. Paying attention to the current social climate and context can help an instructor prepare for possible connections with the course material, and the potential for a HOT moment. This might mean making space for discussion at the start of the class, preemptively helping students see the connection between a particular course topic and current events. Having space for this conversation early on allows for students to both process and articulate their ideas, perhaps avoiding an eruption of these ideas later in the discussion.

During Class

Even when instructors plan ahead, HOT moments can occur. Responding to HOT moments as they arise, though it may feel uncomfortable and daunting, it is important to maintain trust and rapport in the classroom. Some possible strategies for responding to HOT moments during class include:

Initiate a reflective pause: What do students think is happening at that moment? What might have caused this particular discussion (e.g., a particular moment in the text, connection to events “external” to the classroom)? 

Sometimes the best thing to do is hit pause. A reflective pause is not meant to shut down a conversation, but rather it offers an opportunity for the class to reflect on what has happened and perhaps identify productive pathways forward. During the pause, the instructor might ask students to reflect on the class discussion and identify what might have caused the HOT moment (with emphasis placed on ideas, not individuals). This is also an opportunity for students to engage more deeply with the text or material being discussed, as instructors might ask students to individually return to the text before continuing the whole group discussion. No matter the prompt used, the reflective pause gives students a chance to process their own thoughts, while also giving the instructor a chance to brainstorm how the discussion might move forward.

Return to the course material at hand: How might you direct students’ attention back to the text or material at hand? 

HOT moments can arise when a discussion strays from the text, material, or topic at hand. While there can certainly be fruitful discussions that come from this straying, it can also be harder to move beyond a HOT moment when what is being discussed is beyond the shared scope of the course. In these moments, it can be helpful to ask students to support their comments with evidence from the text (e.g., “Could you point to a specific moment in the text that raised this [conclusion, idea, etc.]?”).

Revisit community guidelines or class norms: Is the class still following the agreed upon and shared community guidelines? Are these agreements still serving the class? 

When possible, return to and remind students of the community guidelines or shared class norms. It’s a great opportunity to remind students of what has been agreed upon in terms of expectations around discussion etiquette and engagement in the class. It might also be an opportunity to revisit and, if needed, revise, the agreed upon guidelines or norms.

Use questions to help students explore their response: How might you encourage students to think critically about their responses and contributions? 

It’s important not to single out an individual when HOT moments arise. Doing so can result in the singled-out individual getting defensive, shutting down, or further escalating the HOT moment. At the same time, it can be a valuable learning opportunity to encourage students to think more critically about potential comments or responses. Some probing questions might include: “Many people share this [feeling, opinion, sentiment, etc.]. Why do you think they feel this way? What are some other perspectives?” This can help students think about both why people feel a certain way about a topic, while also considering alternative perspectives or opinions.

After Class

It’s best to respond to HOT moments as they occur, so as to not further impede student learning and create discomfort or rupture in the classroom environment. However, a response in the moment is not always possible. It could be that the HOT moment occurred as class was wrapping up, or it might be that something was brought to your attention after the fact. In these instances, it’s always better to respond after class than to not respond at all, which could harm any trust and rapport instructors have built with their students. Some possible strategies for responding to HOT moments after class include: 

Engage students in asynchronous discussion spaces: How might you leverage asynchronous discussion spaces after class? What are productive uses of this space? 

It is also possible to continue a discussion, and address a HOT moment, in asynchronous discussion spaces. Leveraging this space can allow students time to process their thoughts and craft responses. At the same time, these discussion spaces can also create space for you as the instructor to provide a prompt to help focus the discussion. You might consider bringing some of the responses into the next class session as a way to move the class forward.

Start the next class with a reflective pause: What could have been different about the previous discussion? How will the class proceed in this and future discussion? 

Starting the next class period with a reflection can be a great way to address a previous HOT moment, while also helping to develop ideas for moving forward. Consider asking students to not only reflect on what happened, but to also reflect on ways that the class might move forward and better navigate, or when possible, avoid similar situations in future discussions

Set up 1-1 meetings: Is there an opportunity to meet 1-1 with students to learn more about the situation and address concerns?

In certain circumstances, it might be more effective to meet with students individually. For example, if a student has emailed you with concerns about a particular comment or moment in the course, that could be a time where a 1-1 meeting makes the most sense. Keep in mind, however, that students can often feel nervous about 1-1 meetings, so when asking for a meeting, it’s important to be as clear and transparent about the purpose and goals of the request as possible. 

Share reflections with students: How might you model reflection for your students? 

You might choose to share your own reflections on a HOT moment with your students. This might be admitting you were not expecting particular responses or contributions to a text. There might also be an opportunity to share why you assigned the text or material that sparked a HOT moment, helping students to understand its purpose in the class. In explaining the purpose, however, it’s important to consider and share what you might have changed about presenting the material so as to preempt a HOT moment.  

Accept responsibility for participating in and being the cause of a HOT moment: Did something you say or do in the class result in a HOT moment? How might you accept responsibility and move forward with your students?

It can be challenging for instructors to admit when they participated in the creation of a HOT moment, and it can be difficult to hear that something they said or did caused harm or offense. However, it’s important to remember that intentions do not equal impact: despite doing something with good intentions, you are responsible for the impact these actions have, even when the impact is unintentional. Listening to your students, accepting responsibility, and identifying action steps to move forward is essential for learning to continue and for the class to move forward.

The CTL is here to help! 

Not sure where to begin? Looking to talk with someone about your specific HOT moment experience? The CTL is available to support you in this process. Email CTLFaculty@columbia.edu to schedule a 1-1 consultation. 

For information about live events related to this topic, please visit our Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Action: First Steps page. 

References & Resources 

Chew, S., Houston, A., Cooper, A. (2020). The Anti-Racist Discussion Pedagogy. Packback. 

Gannon, K. (2020). Radical hope: A teaching manifesto. West Virginia U.P. 

Sue, D.W. (2015). Helping people talk about race: Facilitation skills for educators and trainers. In Race talk and the conspiracy of silence: Understanding and facilitating difficult dialogues on race. Wiley.  

The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University. (n.d.) Navigating Difficult Moments | Derek Bok Center, Harvard University. 

Thurber, A., Harbin, M.B., & Bandy, J. (2019). Teaching Race: Pedagogy and Practice. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. 

University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. (n.d.). Responding to Difficult Moments | CRLT.