Teacher Professional Development

Lifelong Learning courses designed for Educators in mind.

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Civil Discourse in Civic Literacy–
More information and Registration coming soon.

Friday, May 30, 2025, through Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Wake Forest University, Brookstown Campus
Presented by Cristofer Wiley

Cristofer Wiley has taught as an adjunct professor of education at Wake Forest. His courses include Educational Policy and Practice (EDU 201) and Social Justice Issues in Education (EDU 304). He is a Civics Literacy teacher at RJ Reynolds High School in Winston- Salem, North Carolina, and has served as a classroom teacher for two decades, dedicating his service to a full range of diverse students in the secondary setting, from sheltered English Language Learner classes to Advanced Placement courses.

Civil Discourse in Civic Literacy stems from the instructor’s career experience in introducing high school students to the civic discourse. This course is intended to offer something of a compass by which to navigate our turbulent political times. A focus on the nation’s fundamental principles and, ideally, our shared values can pave the common ground for meaningful dialogue.

The six classes will also serve as model for accomplishing the same ends in a classroom setting across a range of content areas and grade levels. Appropriate supporting texts —articles, speeches, documents, and the like — will provide context for collective evaluation and consensus; comprehension will be aided by articulating the shifting perspectives of ourselves and others.

1) Political Process vs. Outcome
*Supreme Court, judicial review
*legislative process and executive order
*democracy, strategy, cheating, and losing

2) Fundamental Principles and Values
*Declaration and Constitution (“…a more perfect union…”)
*In praise of rhetoric…
*fundamental – or fluid?

3) Experience as Guide
*political socialization, formative/lifecycle events
*questioning your best teacher
*un-centering oneself

4) Ethics, Empathy, and Civility
*knowing better vs. doing better
*you are not what you hate
*less of US and THEM

5) (Mis)information and (Mis)education
*truth as a matter of fact
*truth is contingent
*…to what end?

6) Action as an Outlet
*consistent (with values), concerted
*collective action on common ground
*modeling, meaningful…