Navigating identity as a controversial issue: One teacher’s disclosure for critical empathic reasoning

This case study aims to expand our understanding of controversial issues teaching and teacher disclosure by illustrating how one “out” gay/queer high school teacher approaches and experiences disclosure with the National Day of Silence (DoS), a yearly event focused on increasing awareness of LGBTQ voices and concerns in schools. Using interviews and document analysis, the study asks how planning and participating in the DoS impacted teacher thinking about disclosure with respect to controversial identity-related instruction. Findings show that while teaching this personally-implicated issue, the teacher did not practice strict impartiality but offered significant democratic learning opportunities consistent with mutual respect and student autonomy. His case offers an ethical alternative for teachers with socio-politically marginalized identities implicated in open controversial issues: a model I term disclosure for critical empathic reasoning. The model’s four attributes and its implications for controversial issues teaching, teacher education, and administrative support are discussed.